


It's Not Just A Stick: A Wand Crafter's Story

by Kgfinkel



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Albus Dumbledore Bashing, F/M, Gen, Manipulative Albus Dumbledore, Ron Weasley Bashing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-11-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 22:42:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 98,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27454435
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kgfinkel/pseuds/Kgfinkel
Summary: Harry Potter was introduced to 'magic' and magic wands earlier than canon by his primary schoolteacher Miss Honeybloom. It was also during that class, he was introduced to and became lifelong friends with a certain Miss Hermione Granger. Armed with a burgeoning knowledge of wandcrafting, an inquisitive best friend and a supportive aunt and uncle; magic awaits!
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Harry Potter
Comments: 35
Kudos: 353





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My friend RhysThornbery coined the trope "Delightfully Nerdy" that I think this story (and the rest of my lighthearted ones) fall into.

**Tuesday 1 September 1987 St. Grogory's Primary School, Little Whinging, Surrey**

"Okay, boys and girls! We have a new student amongst us. Please welcome Miss Hermione Granger to our class," called out their teacher, Miss Belinda Honeybloom, "Miss Granger recently moved to Little Whinging with her parents and I'm _sure_ that you will all get along nicely." She said that last bit while staring sternly at Peter Jacobson, the class bully (or dimwit, depending on who you asked). The teacher placed Hermione's chair next to Harry's.

Harry smiled at the clearly nervous girl with the bushy brown hair and cinnamon colored eyes, "Hi, I'm Harry Potter. Welcome to the jungle." He said that last with a bit of an exaggerated tone and a sweeping gesture of his arms. Hermione giggled at him and blushed deeply.

"Thank you. It's tough moving to a whole new town and all. I hope we can be friends?"

Harry shrugged, "It depends."

"On what?" she asked, suddenly nervous.

"It depends on whether or not you like to read and learn. If you're more the active sort, I'd recommend you go sit next to Dudley and his crowd. I'm more of the brainy sort."

Hermione's eyes lit up and her breathing quickened a bit, "I _love_ to read and learn!" she blushed and looked down at her fingers before she admitted that at her previous school, she got teased for being the 'brainy sort.'

Harry grinned at her embarrassment, "Don't worry about that. That life is over. Here, you and I are going to make magic!"

Hermione looked skeptical, "Harry, magic doesn't exist."

Harry scoffed at that, "Then explain pizza. Magic doesn't exist… _honestly_." Hermione scrunched her nose at him and playfully shoved him on the arm.

* * *

_**Over the course of two months…** _

Hermione quickly settled in amongst her new classmates. Unfortunately, she quickly developed the moniker of "know-it-all." This angered Harry and to some extent, Dudley. Both boys made it quite clear that Hermione was off-limits to bullying. When asked why, Dudley replied that he understood what it was like to be teased for being different. His problem wasn't that he couldn't learn; it was just that there were things that he had difficulty absorbing. The school set him up to be tested and found out that Dudley had a bit of dysgraphia and attention deficit disorder. In Harry's case, he had the reverse problem. He had been teased as a "know-it-all" for a while and did what he could to stamp it out from the others.

Hermione also became a regular guest at the Dursley household once she and Harry discovered that the two of them only lived a couple of blocks away. He lived on Privet Drive while she lived on Wisteria Way. He laughed a bit when he found that out because as he explained, the Dursleys used a neighbor, Mrs. Arabella Figg at Number 12, on that street as an occasional babysitter. Petunia welcomed Hermione and her mother Emma into their lives with a wink on how it was so lovely having another girl in the house to offset the boys. Vernon and Dan Granger got along when they discovered a shared passion for football and that Vernon sold drills while both adult Grangers were dentists. The boys found that while Hermione acknowledged she was a 'bookworm,' she had the capacity to play just as hard as they did when they foraged and explored the backyard in search of adventure or out to the local park for a couple rounds of football.

Whenever Harry would go over to Hermione's house, she was kind of embarrassed by the pink walls and fluffy pillows on her bed. She apologized for how 'girly' her room was compared to his. Harry shrugged this off and said it wasn't a problem. They would then lose themselves in various board games and books that were scattered around her room or make up stories about the adventures that included her goldfish, Bubbles.

* * *

When Halloween rolled around, Harry as well as Petunia became a bit morose. Harry never really got into the whole excitement of trick or treating, preferring instead to stay home and flip through a photo album with his aunt, reminiscing about funny stories about his mother and what little his aunt knew about his father. Hermione was puzzled by this and asked him why this was. Harry told her the story of how he came to be living with the Dursleys. How a terrorist had been rampaging up and down the British Isles during the sixties up to 1981 when he disappeared after murdering his parents. Hermione cried in sympathy for him and gave Harry what had been coined as a 'Hermi-hug.'

* * *

In the guise of educating her class in what she called, "World Cultures Month," Belinda Honeybloom touched briefly on the "History of Magic," the history behind and how to make "Potions" such as how to identify ingredients, properly prepare and brew them to create different colors and effects. She taught her students the history behind and how to read and write "Runes." She gave the students assignments written in runes and they had to decipher what was written. They also learned how to write their names using runes. Each student then made a small plaque with their names on it and hung it on their lockers. Those who did the best on the assignments won a small trophy. She introduced the children and any interested parents to the concept of 'Divination' and taught them how the ancient people used to divine the 'secrets of the gods' with the use of seashells, tea leaves, crystal balls and the like.

She taught them what she called "Herbology" and "Arithmancy." She taught Herbology and Potions side by side explaining the importance to each other. The students learned how to identify the different seeds or cuttings, how to cultivate and grow herbs and flowers, and learned how to prepare them for their "potions." She would dress up as a famous character from the period and give a lecture on how it was used to benefit the population of Great Britain. Parents were concerned at first when they heard from their children about the strange but fun classes and came in to see what this innovative education plan was about and were pleasantly surprised when included in the lesson plan.

One of the parents started complaining that it seemed like Belinda was pushing this 'blasphemy' onto their children. This caused the school's headmistress and a board of examiners to stop by and take part in the lessons. At the end of the class, the panel conferred for a bit before telling a relieved Belinda that they found nothing wrong or subversive with her lesson plans.

One of the examiners was even kind of eager to continue, "Do you know where I could go to learn more about this 'Ancient Runes' and 'Arithmancy' subjects?"

"Well, I learned this on my own from the library and visiting those 'living history' museums. If I recall properly, the local university is holding a short seminar on cultural anthropology which goes into greater depth than what I'm doing here."

* * *

The topic that Harry really liked and seemed to get really well in comparison to everyone else was the history and creation of a magic wand. He didn't understand _why_ he could follow along better than most and the only other student who could keep up with him was Hermione. She was a special case in his view. Her love of learning was second to his and rapidly putting him to shame. ' _The girl is like an information sponge!'_

When they were finally ready to construct their wands, each student was given a twelve inch length of white pine, some sandpaper and an actual modeling knife to trim off or etch in designs of their choosing. Miss Honeybloom made sure to constantly roam around the class to make sure that no one was goofing off or being dangerous with the knives. She considered herself fortunate that Peter Jacobson was out sick that day. She paused at Harry's desk and watched the boy as he carefully trimmed and shaped his wand shaft.

"Very good job there, Harry," she beamed, "What sort of inscriptions were you planning on putting on?"

Harry paused in his carving and pursed his lips a bit in thought, "I have no idea, really. I want to put something maybe that will allow me to… channel? Yeah, channel the 'magical energy' through the wand without blowing up."

Miss Honeybloom knelt down next to him and lowered her voice, "Have you thought about what kind of core you want for this?" Harry looked at her in puzzlement, "I know some things about you. See me after class, okay?" He slowly nodded his head, humoring her.

As the teacher moved away, Hermione leant over, "What was that about?" she mock whispered.

Harry scrunched his lips up a bit and slowly shook his head, "I have _no_ idea."

* * *

While the rest of the class was out enjoying recess, Harry stayed behind as requested. Hermione had hung around as well, nervous for her friend. Miss Honeybloom smiled at Hermione and promised the young girl that there wasn't any problem then shooed her off to the playground before turning back to Harry.

"Well," Miss Honeybloom let out a breath and scrubbed her fingers through her hair, "The reason I held you back is because I know some things about you, Mr. Potter; things about your parents and your past."

Harry's eyes lit up! Anything about his parents and family was always a surefire way to get his undivided attention. His teacher began by explaining that she had the honor of going to the same school as his parents and even had a working relationship with his mother, Lily Potter nee Evans. Miss Honeybloom explained that there was a special school up in Scotland where children with a certain talent were trained.

Harry being the typical boy asked if his parents were training to be spies. "No, Harry," she chuckled, "Your parents weren't training to be spies. They were training to be wizards and witches. You see Harry, like your parents before you, are magical. You're a wizard, Harry."

* * *

"A _what?"_ Harry exclaimed.

"A wizard. When you get ready to turn eleven, you'll be sent an acceptance letter to attend the magical school known as Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Harry could only goggle at her and squeaked out, "Really?"

Belinda nodded and smiled encouragingly, "Yup. That's where I learned how to be a witch just like your mother. Everything I've taught the class this past two months are just some of the things I learned in school."

Harry's mouth dropped open, "You, you mean even the wands too?"

Belinda shrugged, "Maybe not the wands but the information is easy to pick up if you can get a hold of the books to learn the craft."

"Do you have a wand?" he asked hopefully.

Belinda smiled knowingly and pulled out her own wand from her sleeve. She then cast some simple spells and charms to turn her teacup into a gerbil, a rubber eraser into a frog, and lit up the end of her wand like a torch. Harry watched entranced as the frog hopped around the desk while the gerbil nibbled on a piece of paper before returning to their original forms.

"Harry? I need to ask you something personal. How well do you get along with your aunt and uncle?" Miss Honeybloom asked seriously.

Harry shrugged, "Pretty well, I guess. I'm not their son but I think we get along fine. Why?"

Belinda sighed, "It's just that while your mother was in school, she would occasional mention how rough her relationship with her sister had become since she started learning magic. I had hoped that things got patched up between them."

Harry pondered that, "I think they must have because Aunt Petunia loves telling me and Dudley about the sort of adventures that she and my mother used to get into. She cries a bit near the end but she'll just give me a hug then shoo me off to go play."

"What about your uncle? Is he… Does he ever hurt you?"

Harry's eyes widened as he finally got what she was implying, "No! Never! I mean sure, when he, Dudley and I wrestle and I'll get bumped or something. We'll also chase each other around the backyard with water balloons during the summer and I sometimes trip and get pummeled with water but nothing bad happens."

Belinda sighed in relief and turned the conversation back to the wands, "Earlier I asked you about what kind of core you were going to put in your wand. Now that you know that magic is real, you should be careful as to what you experiment with."

"Really? Why?"

She gestured with her wand, "Some cores and woods don't get along well together. It sounds funny but it's true. It's the same with people; some get along better with one type versus another.

Harry solemnly nodded, "What sort of wood and cores would you recommend?"

"Well, mine has a tail hair from a unicorn and the wood is cherry but there are many different kinds of materials you can use. The problem is identifying what would work for you and how to obtain it."

Harry was positively fizzing with excitement, "Is there a book on wand crafting I could borrow?"

Belinda laughed at his exuberance, "Yes Harry, there are many books about wand crafting. I'll tell you what, I'll swing by the magical shopping district in London over the weekend and pick up one. It might be a little advanced for you right now but I'll see what I can do."

Harry bounced up and down and cheered, "Thank you, Miss Honeybloom! That'd be great! Can I tell Hermione about it?"

That wiped the amused look on Miss Honeybloom's face immediately, "No, Harry. That's not a good idea. You see there's a law in our world that forbids a witch or wizard from telling non-magical people about magic."

Harry pouted a bit, "Oh. I don't like keeping secrets from her. She's my best friend."

"Sorry, Harry but it's for the best. Now, go outside and play."

* * *

When Harry got outside, he was besieged by Hermione demanding answers to her questions about what happened.

"Easy, Hermione!" he giggled at her enthusiasm, "I'm alright and there's no problem. Miss Honeybloom just wanted to tell me that she knew my mother and had some stories to tell."

Hermione pulled back and blushed, "I'm sorry, Harry. That was rude of me to rush you like that."

Harry patted her on the back gently, "No problem. You wouldn't be such a great friend if you hadn't." He glanced around sneakily, "I got something to tell you but you gotta keep it a secret." He led her off to a shady and secluded section of the playground where he filled her in on what the other conversation their teacher had with him. Hermione's eyes grew wide as the story progressed with her mouth dropping open at the end.

"You, you can actually do magic?" she squeaked out, "Our teacher can do magic too?" Hermione's eyes went glassy for a few moments as she took in and processed this new information, "Would she be willing to teach me too?"

Harry shrugged a shoulder, "I don't know about me doing magic. I don't think I've ever done anything. I don't know if she can teach you, Hermione. She told me that only magical people can do magic. Can you do anything?"

Hermione glanced around them worriedly before holding out her hand. With the look of intense concentration, a small ball of blue flame appeared floating above her palm. Harry's eyes bugged out and his mouth dropped open as he stared at his best friend's amazing accomplishment. He poked a finger at the flame and giggled at how it just kind of bobbled around like a marble in her hand. The flame wasn't really burning but more like sticking his finger in hot water. Harry glanced up at Hermione and smiled at her; she shyly returned his smile. He grabbed her hand and dragged her back to the classroom where they found their teacher munching on a sandwich.

Belinda quirked an eyebrow up in silent question at their noisy entrance.

Harry blurted out, "Miss Honeybloom! Guess what! Hermione's a witch!"


	2. Chapter 2

Belinda nearly spat out her mouthful of sandwich, merely choking on it instead before getting herself under control, "Harry! I told you _NOT_ to tell anyone about magic!"

Harry shrugged indifferently as only a seven year old could before gesturing to Hermione, "But it's true! Hermione here is a witch. She can make blue flame appear in her hand."

Belinda grumbled and rubbed the bridge of her nose with her fingers, "Okay. Harry, I'm disappointed in you for talking about magic after I explicitly told you not to. Hermione, please come over here and show me what you can do."

Hermione glared at Harry briefly for disobeying a teacher as she passed him on her way up to the teacher's desk. She concentrated on her hand; there was a flicker of light before the ball of flame grew into existence and rolled around in her palm. Belinda was surprised and pleased with the sheer talent of the young girl. Control to that level was rare in a magical child, no matter which side of the divide they were from.

"I'm impressed, Hermione. Not many people I know can do something like that. Now hopefully, and unlike Harry here," she glared balefully at the boy, "you can keep this between us?"

Hermione nodded rapidly; far be it that _she_ would ever do something that the teacher said not to do. Belinda patted her on the hand without the flame, told her to extinguish it and head back outside.

* * *

After the kids left, Belinda tried once more to finish her lunch but was interrupted yet again. This time her visitor was someone of greater, and potentially legally, dangerous.

He flashed a badge declaring himself to be with the Ministry Obliviator Squad, "Ma'am, I'm here at the notice of a concerned citizen that you've been displaying and teaching magic to muggles."

Belinda rolled her eyes, "I'm going to guess that the Muggle Liaison Office or Madam Marchbanks at the Wizarding Examination Board didn't brief you?" At the shake of his head that he hadn't, "I contacted both to let them know well in advance what I had planned for my classes. Everything that has been taught was preapproved by Madam Marchbanks, including terminology normally used being changed into muggle-worthy names. I'm not actually performing wanded spells or charms but teaching them the history and theories of said topics."

"It's in violation of the Statute of Secrecy, ma'am."

"Sir, I'm teaching seven year old children. Everything is brightly colored and pictures are drawn to look as cutesy as possible. I'd daresay that you or anyone else would be hard-pressed to compare the normal texts with my curriculum and say that they're a perfect match."

An eyebrow rose in question but Belinda got there first.

"On top of that, I'm _sure_ that this 'concerned citizen' saw a couple of my students waving around their wands, eh? Those wands are nothing more than sticks from a pine tree that were carved and sanded. There are no cores, nothing to even remotely imply that magic is real."

The Obliviator huffed, "Do you have a copy of the permission form from Madam Marchbanks?" Belinda got up and rummaged around in her bag before pulling out and handing the man the documentation as well as a copy of the day's lesson. He scanned it before gruffly nodding and handing it back.

"Very well. I'll make note of it in my file and put up a marker on the Big Board so no one else will come knocking." He turned and left without further word.

Belinda sank back down in her chair and leant back grumbling at the clear case of idiotic wizards not investigating rumors first before barging in.

* * *

**25 December 1987 Dursley Residence**

It was Christmas morning and both Harry and Dudley made sure that no one was able to sleep in as late as they wanted. Sleeping could wait, there were presents to be unwrapped! Dudley had gotten quite the haul: clothes from his parents, Aunt Marge had sent him something that made noise and lights (guaranteed to drive Petunia crazy); his friends sent him various sweets or age appropriate toys. Harry made him a really cool (for a seven year old) shield and sword made from cardboard, plastic jewels, tinfoil and paint. ' _All of it hand-painted and without a crinkle in sight, thank you very much.'_

Harry got two books from Miss Honeybloom. One was a child's primer on wands and basic magical spells; the other was a book called, 'The Tales of Beetle the Bard.' Dudley gave him a new sketchpad and a pack of colored pencils. He got a new pair of sneakers from Petunia while Vernon got him a rather thick and professional looking book on magic wands as opposed to the child's version Miss Honeybloom had gifted him. At the look of curiosity on Petunia's face, he explained.

"Pet, I know that we want to keep it a secret but after finding out that his teacher introduced the concept of ma…magic to his class, I feel that if we ease into it things will be better and less stressful on us."

Petunia slowly nodded her head in understanding, "But that doesn't explain where you got that book? Were you looking in Lily's trunk that's up in the attic?"

Vernon looked just as puzzled as his wife, "No… I went to this bookstore in London. Asked the clerk if he had anything on learning magic for seven year olds. He showed me the usual cheap garbage but I asked him if he had anything more realistic. Apparently, you have to ask the right questions to get to the special section in the store. He took me through a locked door in the back and it opened up into this whole other section. There was shelves for books on all sorts of things like magic wands, potion making, charming cheese of all things, and the like."

Petunia made a noise of surprised content, "Hmph, never knew that there were any other bookstores than Flourish and Blotts. Where in London and what's the store's name?"

Vernon dug into his wallet and pulled out the receipt, "Uh, Beeman's Books and they're just around the corner from Charing Cross Road."

Petunia's eyes widened dramatically before she burst out laughing, "Bee- Beeman's Books?! You're serious? Ha!"

Petunia's response definitely piqued Vernon's curiosity, "Why is it so funny?"

Petunia continued to chuckle as she got up and started gathering the discarded wrapping paper. Both boys had disappeared to their respective rooms to supposedly stash their new treasures.

"Beeman's Books is the muggle storefront of Flourish and Blotts, Vernon. Run by the same owners who wanted to give the parents of muggleborns a way to get into Diagon Alley without having to try and finagle their way past the enchantments to the Leaky Cauldron. Lily told me about this during the summer of her third year and again when we reconciled." She made another snort of laughter as she headed into the kitchen to fix up some breakfast.

* * *

_**Up in Harry's room…** _

Harry was poring over the book his uncle got him, utterly entranced by the moving pictures and the descriptions of the various wands made over the centuries since their first inception. A wand, he learned, was more than just a stick with a core made from a magical ingredient, usually something from an animal like a hippogryph (whatever that was) or a unicorn. There were also references and pictures of more exotic materials like seashells, runic inscriptions like the ones they'd learned in Miss Honeybloom's class, even gemstones.

Harry dug around in his bag and pulled out the wand he made from white pine and examined it closely, comparing it to the ones in the book. His was completely basic but, as he cocked his head in thought, maybe he could improve upon it? He wondered what kind of magical core he could find around the house and how to get it into the shaft without splitting it open. Petunia came into his room bearing a plate of sandwich quarters. She tousled his hair and peered over his shoulder at what he was reading.

"You know, if you're _really_ interested, I think your uncle may have a solution for making a tiny hole in that shaft."

Harry looked up and tilted his head, not understanding.

"Your uncle makes drills, remember? I'm sure he's got something in the garage that would help you if you ask him nicely."

Harry beamed at his aunt happily, "Thanks, Aunt Petunia!" He made to get up but she waved him down again.

"Just a moment, Harry. I want to talk with you about this magic stuff. I know that this is all exciting and fun but magic is a serious business. There are specific rules and laws about what you can and can't do with the ability and who you can and can't share it with. Okay? I want you to promise me that you won't go telling everyone that you can do magic."

Harry promised that he wouldn't tell anyone but he did ask if it was alright if he shared his books with Hermione. Petunia got that well known look that all mothers (or aunts in his case) got when a child tried to press their luck.

"Aunt Petunia, Hermione's a witch! I saw her do magic at school a while ago. She can make flames appear in her hands and make things float off the table a bit!"

Petunia stared at her enthusiastic nephew, contemplating the possibilities, "I'll tell you what. Let me speak with Mrs. Granger and get their story before I say yes or no, okay?" Harry furiously nodded his head before bouncing up and giving his aunt a hug then racing out of the room in search of his uncle and his drills.

* * *

**Granger Residence, a week later**

Hermione was the perfect little hostess until she got wind that Harry brought his new books. Then she turned into a pint-sized growling tiger demanding access to the mystical tomes of knowledge. Emma and Dan were aghast at their daughter's behavior but Harry laughed it off saying that 'it was funny and totally Hermione.' The two of them disappeared into her room while the adults settled in the living room.

When Petunia appeared in Hermione's doorway a little while later, she whispered to Harry that it was okay for him to talk to Hermione and her parents about magic. She gave him a kiss on the top of his head and said that he was to come home when Mr. and Mrs. Granger told him it was time. Harry waved her goodbye and turned back to watch his best friend as she flitted through the books like a bird of prey in search of a mouse. He tried reaching for one only to have his hand swatted away.

"Hermione! I wanna read one too. They're my books, you know," he groused.

Hermione picked her face up and blinked owlishly at him, "Huh? Oh… yeah, sure." She then went back to her reading. Harry grumbled good-naturedly and quickly grabbed the thicker of the two wand books.

* * *

Time and silence passed, except for the faint sounds of pages being turned. Harry was staring at the picture of a rather attractive wand that had been crafted out of something called, 'rainbow wood' and abalone shell. The author of the book wrote that such wands were usually found in the South Pacific near Australia and the Solomon Islands and its characteristics were for the witch or wizard who was talented in Divination. Harry then dug out his sketchbook and used his pencil to start laying out a design that had blossomed in his mind.

A little while later, his nose tickled at the scent that was distinctly Hermione as she leaned over his shoulder to see what he was drawing. He turned in her direction and smirked at her interested expression.

"Pretty cool, huh?" She silently agreed with a small smile of her own. She reached out with a finger and pointed to the seashell picture, "That's pretty. What's it used for?"

"According to the book, it's used for Divination. Kind of like what Miss Honeybloom took us through."

"Neat. What else do you have?" Harry handed over his sketchpad; she flipped through the various drawings. Some were complete and in color, others mere wisps in pencil. "You're really serious about this stuff, aren't you?" Harry agreed with her as he took his sketchpad back.

"Yeah, I don't know why but this wand and magic stuff is really cool and I understand better than anything else. Oh, hey! I did something really cool with the wand I made in class. Me and my uncle used his drills and we made a tiny hole in the bottom of the stick." He handed over the wand shaft so she could see it.

"What are you going to put in there?" Harry shrugged.

"Dunno. The book says that a raven feather is usually used as a starter core because they're so easy to find."

Hermione thought about that, "Where do you find a feather of a raven? I've only seen the small sparrows in the neighborhood."

Again, Harry shrugged, "Dunno. Maybe if I write to a pet store? Do you know of anywhere I could get a feather?"

Hermione pursed her lips in thought and scrunched up her face, "What about that magical shopping area that Miss Honeybloom talked about? They'd _have_ to have stuff like that."

Harry chuckled, "Hermione, I couldn't even begin to imagine how I'd get down there. I know it's in London… I think."

Hermione got up from the floor and paced in front of her bookshelves. She paused in front of one, pulled it from the shelf and plopped down in front of him again. The book in her hand was a telephone directory for the Greater London area. She opened it up and the two of them flipped through the pages trying to find a pet store. After a few moments, they finally came upon the relevant pages. Hermione triumphantly pointed to the most colorful advertisement and declared that they ought to call this one.

Harry asked why. "Anyone who puts a color advertisement in the book is an important place. My daddy says that about their flyers," she replied.

* * *

The two kids picked up their stuff and headed into the living room where Emma Granger was reading a book. Hermione gently put the telephone book on the coffee table and stood expectantly in front of her mum. Emma's face started mushing around like she was trying to ignore the fact that her daughter was getting indignant at being forced to wait. Finally she broke down and laughed at the look on Hermione's face and put down her book.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. You looked so cute with that pose of yours. What's wrong, sweetie?"

Hermione huffed as only a seven year old girl could in the face of a difficult parent, "Mummy, Harry and I want to call this pet store and see if they have any raven feathers for Harry's wand." She pointed over to the advertisement that lay open. Emma glanced over to Harry and asked him to explain. Harry filled her in with the same story he had shared with Hermione. Emma nodded along at the long-winded explanation before picking up the wand crafting book and looking through the pictures.

"You want to see if you can get that stick to perform magic?"

"Yes, Mrs. Granger," he replied. Hermione was practically vibrating in nervous energy hoping that her mother would agree to it.

Emma paused on one page and peered at Harry over the edge of the book, "Does the feather have to be harvested fresh from the bird or can it be picked up from the ground?"

"Um…"

Emma looked understanding, "I suggest that you read this book cover to cover again. Right here it says that the core must be harvested and preserved if they're not going to be used right away. I seriously doubt that any respectable pet store is going to let you or anyone else come in and pull feathers off their birds. As for a practice feather, I think your father might have something in his display case, Hermione." The younger girl immediately dashed off to her father's study. Both she and her father returned a moment later; the latter with a confused look on his face.

"Em? What's this about needing a feather for a project?"

Emma had Harry explain the situation once again to her husband who scratched his chin as he listened.

"Well, I got some crow feathers you could have. I think I might have a spare ostrich feather too. But I want you to do your research properly before I give them to you, okay?"

He was greeted with near twin enthusiastic agreements.

* * *

**Saturday 9 January 1988 Granger Residence**

Harry and Hermione were playing in her front yard making what they could out of the leftover wet snow and various bits and pieces of detritus when Mrs. Figg from just a few doors down came shuffling by dragging her cart. The sound of rattling cans alerted the kids to her presence.

"Hello, Harry. How are you today?"

"Hi, Mrs. Figg. I'm pretty good. Just playing with Hermione. We're pretending that the snowman has stolen the world's chocolate and we gotta rescue it." Arabella chuckled at his explanation. It did her aging heart a world of good to see the Potter boy out and about.

Harry was pulled back into their play and started shouting that he was going to use his 'super awesome magic' to make that mean old snowman give up his stolen horde. Arabella's eyes widened in horror as she spotted Harry pulling out what looked like an actual wand from his sleeve.

"HARRY! NO!"

Harry stopped at the yell and turned to her quizzically, "What?"

Arabella was feeling frantic, how was she supposed to handle this? She couldn't do magic as her employer Albus Dumbledore knew full well. She quickly waved the boy over to her and whispered hurriedly in his ear.

"Put that wand away, Harry. You shouldn't be waving that around; what if Miss Granger saw you? You could get in trouble with the Aurors!"

He was about to say that Hermione was a witch in response but held back. _'Hermione already knows about magic but I don't think I should tell Mrs. Figg about that.'_ He held up the wand in question and showed it to her.

"But Mrs. Figg, Hermione helped me build it. See? It lights up when you press this button. The battery makes the bulb on the end light up. Cool, huh?" He demonstrated the 'magical' ability to light up.

Arabella froze in shock at the declaration that Hermione already knew but relaxed when presented with the now obviously fake wand and the lighting trick. She wiped her brow and let out a sigh of relief.

"Whew! You had me going there, Harry. Please don't do that again. Albus wouldn't like it if you were doing things you shouldn't be." She patted him on the arm and shuffled away.

Harry turned and glanced in confusion at Hermione before shaking his head and getting back into their fun.

Later, after a warming cup of hot chocolate and a grilled cheese sandwich, both kids got busy with their studying on how to make a proper wand. From the instructions in the thicker of the two wand crafting books, the average time it took an experienced crafter was two weeks and that was on top of nearly a year or more learning everything there was on the different species of wood, the compositions of the cores and where they came from. There was so much to learn that Harry was beginning to despair a bit thinking that he'd never get to being able to pull out his wand and do magic. Emma gave him a commiserating hug and reminded him that in just a little over three years, he'd be off to Hogwarts learning magic and they wouldn't let him go empty handed.

"Even if you can't get your wand to work by then, you can always show it off to whoever it is that makes the 'official' wands. He or she might even have some tips for you to write down in your sketchpad." Said sketchpad was slowly filling with various designs and images as well as a couple of plastic baggies filled with random natural bits that could be included in their studies.

* * *

**Time Skip: July 1991 Dursley Residence**

Three years had gone by and it was now summer vacation for many of the children in the neighborhood. Outwardly, not much had changed in the township of Little Whinging. Adults went to work or stayed home to take care of the children. The children grew, went to school, hung out with the friends and the like. At 4 Privet Drive, the outside looked just as ordinary as any of the other houses. There were a couple of things that made it evident that a couple of boys lived there, like a football that hadn't been put away or a bicycle lying on its side on the lawn.

The inside of the house however…

The common areas of the house such as the kitchen, living room, and lounge area were as normal as everything could be. It wasn't until you got into the garage that things started changing. There were two workstations set up on opposite sides of the door to the inside. On the left was Vernon's table where he kept his power tools and projects to maintain the house. On the right side was Harry's table that had kids' versions of hand and power tools. His drill motors were smaller and didn't have the same torque; the vise clamps were more delicate. In addition, the storage racks were filled with wood block blanks ranging in species and quality befitting a proper woodworking shop.

Upstairs in Harry's room were multiple bookcases filled to capacity with various tomes relating to the topic of woodcraft, both magical and mundane. He had many three ring binders stuffed with notes, drawings, samples and photographs detailing his journey to collect knowledge in everything even remotely related to wand crafting and magic. Over the course of the past three years and under the guise of class fieldtrips, Harry got to visit lumber mills, forestry conservation sites, animal sanctuaries, fisheries, and the beach. When Belinda took him to the magical versions, he was able to discuss his topic of interest freely but at the muggle locations, he had to couch the questions so they'd think that he was part of a creative writing club.

He had taken summer school courses on how to handle and use woodcarving tools such as knives, scrapers, a jig saw and other hand and power tools. Vernon was immensely proud of his nephew as the lad learned how to disassemble and repair broken drill motors and how to keep the bits sharp. (Try as he might, he just couldn't get his own son interested in the same projects.) Harry had over time become such a familiar figure in the local university's forestry conservation program that despite his young age and not being a student, they'd allowed him to take part in their meetings and hikes into the woodlands. He would always come home with tons of scratches, samples from various trees, a couple of bruises and more stories about their adventures.

* * *

Dudley had grown during this time too. Since he'd been diagnosed early in his education of have learning disabilities, he and his parents had benefited from social programs designed to offer things like afterschool tutoring, extra time taking tests, audio books and even some grant money to buy a computer. His grades came up as a result and that coupled with a newfound discovery of Tai Chi, his weight was finally down to a manageable level. While he would always be a big boy, there wasn't the feeling that he was just a miniature troll in clothes. He was a friendly boy who had been developing aspirations to becoming a social worker to help other kids with learning disabilities.

* * *

If someone had asked Dan and Emma Granger when they moved to Surrey three years ago if they thought that their daughter would become one of St. Grogory's more popular girls, they'd have thought that you were nipping a bit hard on the cooking sherry. Anyone who'd ever met the girl viewed Hermione as being rather bookish and shy. After three years of being Harry's and to some extent Dudley's friend, their beautiful little girl had blossomed into someone who would've been unrecognizable at the last family reunion. Gone was the almost obsessive need to be the absolute best or the class 'know-it-all,' Hermione had calmed down thanks to the efforts by Harry and Dudley by introducing her to the other girls in the class who were willing to work with her over-eager ways.

She was still a font of knowledge and as Petunia once termed, 'Delightfully Nerdy,' Hermione had discovered ways to channel those nerdy ways into the fandom of Doctor Who on the muggle side and Ancient Runes on the magical side. She even managed to combine the two when creating scenarios for she and her friends to play (Doctor Who and his companion had to find and decipher these ancient runic scripts found on an abandoned world to get whatever it was from the evil overlords.)

When she was over at the Dursleys, she brought over a runic Scrabble game that she'd created the night before. Dudley wasn't too keen on it but it was better than the ever present chores his mother always seemed to think of. Harry thought they were a hoot and a half to play. Because they were magical runic tiles, if you got a sequence right, there'd be some sort of reaction from the board in lieu points.

* * *

Harry was sitting on the floor of his room watching Hermione explain the rules of her latest game creation to Dudley and Vernon while idly examining his latest wand creation. This was the one he was most proud of as it was the culmination of three years of hard work and learning. The shaft was made from a beautiful ten and one-quarter inches of canarywood. It was fairly pliant with a twin core of ostrich feather fused with shavings of horn from the Horned Serpent. He'd spent many months trying to figure out why that happened because the serpent and the parselmouth talent associated with it was viewed by some as Dark Magic (he'd found that ability out the last time he and the Dursleys went to the zoo) but despite the arithmancy and written correspondence with other crafters, it was never solved. So as a result, he was the proud owner of a wand that suited itself to a creative, artistic and protective nature of the person who would champion a just life.

He'd also outfitted Hermione with her own personalized wand. He took her personality into consideration when choosing the components. She seemed like a perfect candidate for Gryffindor until you took in her desire to make lots of friends and work together to achieve the common goal. That desire lent itself towards her being a Hufflepuff. Secretly he hoped that they would both go there. He really didn't want to be parted from her. She was the light of his life; his best friend in the whole world even at this young age.

Hermione's wand had a shaft made from Cocobolo and measured nearly eleven inches long. It had a springy nature with a core of mermaid scales. Unusually, hers had a smoky quartz gemstone embedded in the handle. The wood would lend itself to Hermione's energetic nature, the core would aid her in the field of transfiguration (something they figured was because of her nerdy tendencies and she was always changing something to fit the new scenario.) The gemstone would help in keeping her grounded while at the same time assist in integrating insights from higher knowledge.

* * *

"Hey, Hermione?" She trailed off in her explanation to look over at him, "Given that you're such a Doctor Who fan why don't we try to make a real life version of his sonic screwdriver?"

She smirked at him and pulled from her pocket a replica of the famous device, "Who's to say that I haven't already done that?"

He held out his hand, "Lemme see that. Did you really do that?" He asked as she handed the prop over to him. Upon closer examination, he found that she had stripped out the manufacturer's electronics that would make the toy buzz and light up and instead used it as a cover for her wand. He laughed and handed it back to her. She just grinned smugly…

When Harry heard his aunt call his name, he got up and headed downstairs where she was standing with a tense look on her face holding what looked like a letter made of a slightly yellowing envelope.

"Aunt Petunia?" he inquired worriedly.

Petunia took and released a shuddering breath and handed him the envelope, "Its come, Harry. Here's your Hogwarts Letter."


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since Privet Drive is a fictional location, I've taken it upon myself to locate it near the Two Rivers shopping district in Staines upon Thames, Surrey. That way there's plenty of things for kids to do without needing adults to drive them everywhere. If you ever get the chance, look up the place on Google Maps. Beautiful city and countryside…
> 
> Important thing for me to remember. Never try to type without my glasses on. The things I've found while editing…

Harry read through the letter. It was a simple paragraph stating that he had been accepted to the school and that they await his confirmation owl no later than August 1. There was also a separate sheet outlining what supplies he'd need.

Frowning a bit he looked up at his aunt's resigned face, "Wow, I've been looking forward to this moment but at the same time, I don't want to leave you, Uncle Vernon and Dudley behind."

Petunia smiled warmly at her nephew and drew him in for a comforting hug, "I know Harry but it's for the best. Now, go outside and see if the owl that brought the letter is still here so you can send your reply." She straightened up and ushered him out the door.

Harry glanced around the yard and the low hanging branches of the trees before spotting a lovely looking barn owl quietly watching him, "Hey there. Would you mind waiting a few moments for me to write my reply?" The owl hooted and settled in.

Harry dashed back inside and grabbed a sheet of notepaper from the roll next to the telephone and a pen. He scribbled out his acceptance of the letter but asked where he'd have to go to get to the school. Did he take a train? A car? Would there be someone from the school in Diagon Alley who could act as a guide? He finished off the response and folded it up before racing back outside where the owl pointed out where to attach it to its leg before taking flight.

* * *

Harry got back into his room and excitedly shared the letter with Dudley and Hermione. Uncle Vernon had apparently left stating that he had to get the barbeque started for tonight's dinner.

"Did you get your letter, Hermione?" Dudley asked as he slowly read the list of supplies.

Hermione shook her head and blushed but didn't say anything.

Harry's face grew puzzled, "Hermione, your eleventh birthday was last year."

Hermione shrugged quickly, "Yeah, I didn't mention getting my letter before just in case you didn't get yours but I already had a visit from one of the professors offering me a place at the school. It wouldn't have been fair for me to celebrate if you didn't get in." Harry hugged her and smiled brightly.

"So what happens now?" Dudley asked and handed the list back to Harry.

"Well, there was some missing information in my letter," Harry explained, "I wrote back saying that I'd be happy to accept as long as someone told me how and where to go to get to the school."

Hermione's face was the one to show puzzlement now, "Platform 9 ¾; like always. It says that in the history book."

Harry hung his head and groaned, "I completely forgot about that! Wonderful, the person I sent the response to is going to think I'm an idiot. Did it say what time as well?"

"Eleven a.m." Harry waved his hand as to say, _'There you go.'_

Releasing a drawn out sigh of embarrassment, Harry got up and went to go find his aunt.

* * *

He found Petunia busy making dinner and settled onto one of the stools to watch her work. She smiled patiently as she continued to chop up some onions.

"Need any help?" he asked her.

Pausing a moment to think, she gestured silently with the knife towards the refrigerator and told him to start breaking up the lettuce for the salad. He jumped off the stool, washed his hands and grabbed the large plastic mixing bowl and the bag of lettuce from the fridge. The two worked quietly together; Harry finished with the lettuce before moving onto slicing up the radishes and carrots. Petunia dumped the chopped onions into a bowl and covered it with a towel.

"What's on your mind, Harry?"

"I'm just thinking about how I'm leaving here to go learn magic like my parents. It's kind of scary; I'm used to the way things are done here."

Petunia hummed, "Well, every new experience has to start somewhere. I do want to ask you for a favor." He turned to face her, "Don't go looking for adventure specifically. If it seems dangerous, get out of there. I don't want to lose you to that madness like I did your mother, okay?" He nodded solemnly.

"Now… That note you sent back. You seemed to write more than a simple 'yes' in it. What did you ask?"

Harry groaned lightly, "Something that I forgot I had read about in Hermione's history book. You know, how and where to go? What time to be there? If there was a guide at Diagon Alley if I needed help?"

Petunia glanced at him strangely, "But you've been to the Alley before, right? No, wait. That was your uncle and your teacher who went for you. Never mind…"

"Then there's the question of how am I going to pay for the supplies and if I want to save some money by buying certain items in the normal world?" he mentioned.

"Oh? Like what?"

Harry pulled out the list and laid it on the counter. He pointed out a couple of items that would be easier to find and probably a heck of a lot cheaper than the magical version. Petunia nodded and made suggestions of her own.

"I think you should get a telescope in the normal world too. I remember Lily's and it wasn't the same sort of quality you'd expect for the price. As a matter of fact, why don't you and I take a look through her trunk and see if there's anything that you could salvage?"

"Could we include Hermione in that too?"

"Probably would be a good idea. You know how inquisitive she is. Finish up with those carrots and we'll head for the attic."

* * *

_**Up in the Dursley attic…** _

"Wow! I had no idea you had so much stuff up here," Hermione exclaimed as she peered into various boxes that were stacked haphazardly in one corner. She opened one labeled, 'Harry's baby clothes,' "Aww, Harry! Look how little and cute you used to be?" She lifted up a cute onesie that had a cartoon duck on the front.

Petunia laughed at Harry's chagrin before turning back to the search for the trunk. She stood up and grunted and appeared to think hard for a moment, "Harry? Do you have your wand on you?" He pulled it out and held it up. "Good. There's a spell that I remember Lily talking about once. What you do is lay your wand flat on your palm and say 'Point me Lily's trunk' or whatever else you were searching for."

So Harry did that and his wand spun around to point over in the opposite side of the attic from where they were. Hermione squealed and bounced on her toes while clapping at the display of actual magic.

Harry was surprised it worked, "How did the wand know where her trunk was and even who Lily was?"

Petunia chuckled, "It's magic!"

Harry glared balefully at her, "How long have you been waiting to use that?"

She patted him on the back as she headed off to where the wand had pointed, "Years, Harry. Years."

* * *

_**Back in the living room…** _

They found the trunk and dragged it downstairs and got set up in the living room. After wiping it clean of dust and cobwebs, Petunia paused and was heard sniffling a bit. Harry knelt down next to her and gave her a quick hug. She gave him a watery smile in return before gathering up her courage and opening the trunk. The hinges squeaked a bit from disuse but there was everything a young girl needed to spend a year in a magical castle in Northern Scotland. The inside of the lid was covered with childish stickers and a hand carved heart with the initials 'LE + SS' in the center. Petunia gave that one an odd look and a bit of a sneer but refused to elaborate why.

On one side, there was a seemingly small space dedicated for clothes. It was actually a space-expansion section that would enlarge at the push of a button near the handle. The next section was given to the storage of books while the third was for supplies like her cauldron and vials and containers of clearly expired ingredients. Harry wrinkled his nose at the sight of the ingredient jars but Petunia assured him that they'd bin anything dangerous or gross.

Hermione picked out some of the books and grimaced at the sight of notes scrawled in the margins, "Seriously, who writes in books?"

Petunia glanced at what Hermione was looking at, "If they're your books and not a library book then there's no problem. I have several reference books where I've scribbled in some questions and observations for later."

Harry had picked up what he thought was a tiny hand cloth; to his shock and not a bit of horror, it turned out to be a skirt. Both Petunia and Hermione laughed at the look on his face. When they finally emptied the trunk and took stock of what they found, Harry leant back against the sofa.

"Huh, I wouldn't have thought that her trunk would've been so…ordinary. I mean aside from the space-expansion parts."

Petunia came back in from the kitchen carrying a couple of cups of water, "What were you expecting, Harry?"

Harry shrugged as he sipped on his water, "Dunno. Maybe photographs or a journal about what life was like back then? Something that would explain why they aren't here." He said that last quietly and sadly.

"Well, after our reconciliation, she and I got together one day and organized all the photos and letters that had been sent over the years. I have my copy of everything in my closet upstairs, including a copy of their will."

"Why'd you mention the will, you make it seem like it's important," Hermione observed.

"Well, it is from a legal standpoint. It tells anyone who reads it where, who and what was supposed to be decided on upon their deaths."

"So what are you going to be taking, Harry?" Hermione asked as she stacked the books back inside.

Harry hemmed a bit, "I think I'll take the trunk. The books are out of date and I obviously can't use the clothes. The trunk might look girly but if anyone asks, I'll just tell them it's one of the few things I have left from my mum."

Petunia gave him an odd look, "You're seriously going to do that? How about as an option when you go shopping, you at least take a look at the other trunks? I wouldn't want you to be teased or for the trunk to get damaged while at school."

* * *

That evening as everyone was getting ready to go to sleep; Petunia knocked softly on Harry's door and sat down on the stool next to his desk.

"Harry, when you go see the Goblins at Gringotts, I want you to take a copy of that will with you. I want you to show them that the copy that they have is outdated."

Harry sat up on his bed, "Okay, Aunt Petunia. Why though?"

Petunia sighed, "I have the feeling that the man who left you with us after that Halloween is using the other copy as an excuse to deny you access to your father's side of your family. Not to mention there must have been something magical placed around our house to prevent us from getting mail. Think about it, you're supposedly this famous boy who defeated this Dark Lord and survived, right?" He nodded; he'd read the stories (laughed at them too). "Well, I would have believed that you would've gotten fan mail from just about every witch or wizard in the country. Yet there's been nothing until you got your Hogwarts letter. On top of that, Gringotts is a bank; they should've been sending your account statements on a regular basis. We've never gotten one."

* * *

_**The next morning…** _

Harry got a reply from his questions he had sent via that owl telling him that there would be indeed a representative from the school who would be happy to take him shopping in Diagon Alley. The responder said that the representative would meet him at his home come that Saturday at eleven a.m. sharp. He made a note of it on the communal calendar in the kitchen before heading off to go play with Hermione who was waiting impatiently with their bicycles. He also left a note for his aunt asking her to accompany them to Diagon Alley just in case there was time to do some non-magical shopping for any supplies the Alley might not carry.

Their ride was the last gasp of childish summer freedom before the start of the new school year and at Hogwarts. Both kids were determined to make this summer count as much as possible. As they rode their bikes past the various homes and smaller businesses, Hermione managed to goad Harry into racing her along the streets that led to the nearest Two Rivers shopping center. He was fast but not as nimble as she was. She seemed to always be aware of her surroundings and knew just when to back off so as to not get hit by a low hanging branch. Harry meanwhile, just bulled through without a care. _'Boys'_ she groused mentally and shook her head.

* * *

They entered the Two Rivers market district for Staines upon Thames and aimlessly pedaled around, looking in the windows of the various stores until they mutually decided it was time to eat lunch.

"What did you have in mind, Hermione?" Harry asked as he thumbed through his wallet and spending money that his aunt had given him that morning.

"Well, what's our price range?"

"I got enough here for a couple of slices of pizza, something at McDonald's or we could try that new Caribbean place unless you want to share something like a curry?"

Hermione mushed her face around as she tried to make a decision, "Fish and chips?" Harry made a face at that. "Okay, then let's go with pizza. I seem to remember a certain someone who stated that pizza is magical."

Harry chuckled and led the way to the eatery.

After lunch, they decided to take the long way back home. They rode their bikes along the Thames River past the Memorial Gardens and cutting across the railroad grade crossing. Turning left, they traveled along Richmond Street and down Gresham Road before pulling onto Privet Drive. Harry offered to ride with her back to her place but she waved it off, saying that it wasn't a problem.

* * *

_**Back at the Dursley house…** _

When Harry returned home, Dudley intercepted him and told him to quickly take a shower then make himself scarce.

"Why? What's going on?" Harry asked worriedly.

Dudley glanced behind him towards the kitchen before looking his cousin straight in the face, "Aunt Marge is here with Ripper."

Harry would've groaned out loud if he didn't know that it would've attracted attention. Nodding in defeat, he quickly headed upstairs and got cleaned up before disappearing into his room. To pass the time, he dug out a white walnut wand blank and his carving tools. Settling himself in his favorite squishy armchair, he relaxed his mind and let his fingers trace out where on the blank he felt the need to trim away the material.

Little by little, the blank was carved until the surface resembled a climbing vine and leaves. The base was left bare since he had already decided on attaching a cork grip. The spot where the thumb would go was slightly indented to provide a natural rest. He had just finished engraving the controlling and guiding runes to the handle when there was a gentle knock on the door.

"Come in." he called out.

The door opened to reveal Dudley holding a covered plate and a bottle of tomato juice.

"Hey, I saved you some of the dinner we had." He pulled the cover off to reveal barbecued chicken, lightly fried zucchini noodles and the leftover salad.

"Thanks, Dudley. Any word on how long she'll be staying here?"

Dudley grimaced, "Yeah, she'll be leaving on Saturday." He sat down on the edge of Harry's bed.

Harry hung his head, "Great. That's the day when the representative from Hogwarts will be showing up to take me shopping. I just hope they know how to blend in so I can get out of here without too much trouble." Dudley laughed quietly.

"Can I come with you? I really don't like it when she's here. She keeps trying to stuff me with junk food and bad-mouthing my Tai Chi lessons."

Swallowing a piece of chicken, Harry replied, "Talk to your mum. Maybe she can convince Aunt Marge to leave before eleven?"

* * *

**Saturday 27 July 1991 Dursley Residence, Eleven A.M.**

Dudley did indeed speak with his mum who in turn spoke with Vernon who managed to convince Marge that she needed to be gone by ten a.m. Saturday. Harry had heard that Vernon made her believe that they were getting the carpets shampooed. Whatever the reason, Harry was glad for it. The morning of that Saturday dawned and Harry was up, showered, dressed and ready to go by eight. By nine, he'd called Hermione and asked if she wanted to go as well, promising that they'd spend some time in the bookstore. Hearing her tinkling laugh on the other end was probably the best sound in the world in his mind.

"You know me too well, Harry and yes; I'd like to go with you. I'll be there by ten thirty."

So there they were waiting in the lounge wondering how and when the representative would arrive. The doorbell rang and caused Harry to jump like someone had zapped him with a cattleprod. Petunia, Dudley and Hermione laughed as Harry just glared ineffectually at them as he went to open the door.

Upon opening the door was the tallest man Harry had ever seen in his life! He seemed to be tall enough to reach up and pluck an airplane out of the sky. Harry's mouth must have dropped open but the rumbling laugh from the giant of a man caused his teeth to click as he quickly shut it.

"Hello there, Harry! I haven't seen you since you were just a wee baby."

"Umm… hello," Harry squeaked out, "Who are you?"

The big man looked briefly chagrinned, "Right, right. Haven't introduced myself. Name's Rubeus Hagrid though folks just call me Hagrid. I'm the Keeper of Keys and Grounds at Hogwarts. I'm sure you already know about Hogwarts?"

Harry bobbled his head and waggled his hand, "Some. My best friend knows more since the history book is hers." He took in the size of the man and figured that getting him inside wouldn't be feasible. "Could you wait a moment, I need to let my aunt know that it's time to leave."

"No need Harry. We're right behind you. When you didn't come back, we got curious," Petunia replied as she placed her hands on his shoulders, "Go grab your jacket. Hagrid, is it?" The big man, Hagrid nodded, "Pleasure to meet you. My name is Petunia Dursley and I along with my son and Harry's best friend will be accompanying you to Diagon Alley."

Hagrid looked at bit uncomfortable, "Oh, well. Umm… I only had orders to take Harry for his shopping but I guess one more adult couldn't hurt."

Petunia smiled warmly, "Excellent."

* * *

**Charing Cross Road, outside the Leaky Cauldron**

"Mum? Why are we going this way? I thought you preferred going through Beeman's?" Dudley asked his mum as Hagrid led them through the busy sidewalk in downtown London. They had taken the Underground much to the surprise of the kids. Hermione secretly wondered how the trains would take someone of Hagrid's weight but didn't mention it out loud. As they were riding, Hagrid had pulled out some knitting and calmly answered all the questions the kids and Petunia had about life at the school.

"Hagrid? Do you think it'd be allowed for us to bring our bicycles to the school? I've read that there are some really nice trails up in Scotland," Hermione piped up.

Hagrid pondered that, "I don't rightly know. No one's ever asked that before. I suppose it wouldn't be a problem. I'll speak with Professor McGonagall later and write you with the decision."

Hermione beamed happily.

Hagrid led them into the dingy, ancient pub and greeted the bartender, Tom.

"Get you the usual, eh Hagrid?"

"Sorry, Tom. Gotta take young Harry to get his school supplies."

Tom the bartender looked stunned, "Bless my soul, it's Harry Potter!"

The whole pub went silent before the clamoring noise of so many people rushing forward filled the void. It took the concerted effort of both Petunia and Hagrid to get the well-wishers to back off. Petunia admonished them all for crowding a young boy like he was Merlin himself.

"If this is an example of the sort of people the magical world has, I should think that maybe Harry would just chuck it all and go back to the non-magical world!" That got everyone to shut up and stare back in horror and shame.

* * *

Harry glanced back at the inside of the pub as Hagrid led them out into the backyard facing a brick wall.

"Now I understand why Beeman's was created. Who'd want to put up with that every time someone came through?" he grumbled bemusedly.

Hagrid shrugged a shoulder, "Sorry about that. I'm not used to coming in from the muggle side of the Leaky. I had no idea they'd be that bad," He then got a puzzled look on his face, "What's Beeman's?"

"Beeman's is the alternative entrance to the Alley through the back of Flourish and Blotts. You enter through a muggle bookstore and have to answer the sales clerk's security questions."

Rubbing his bearded chin, Hagrid made a interested grunt, "Huh, never knew that. I'll need to remember for next time." He removed a pink umbrella from his trenchcoat and tapped a specific pattern on the bricks. The bricks wiggled and began to peel back like the curtain in a fancy theater.

Both Harry and Dudley made appreciative noises.

"Welcome Harry, to Diagon Alley!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've never been to the Two Rivers Shopping Center in Staines-upon-Thames so if I get anything wrong, blame Google

Both boys wanted to immediately dash off to explore this new territory but Petunia kept them under control. Even Hermione wasn't totally immune from the energy the boys were giving off. She wanted to split off to the bookstore but Petunia was adamant.

"I want the four of us to remain together. If that pub was any indication then I don't feel safe with leaving you all on your own." She then said that they'd head to Gringotts first to exchange some money and to speak with someone about the Potter Family Will.

Hagrid had a bit of a problem with that though, "It's alright if Harry wants to get some money from his vault but Dumbledore said not to tarry about in the bank."

Petunia looked up sharply at the man, "Harry and I have personal reasons for visiting with an account manager. It's not up to the headmaster to say what we are or are not allowed to do." She gave him such a fierce stare that he backed down.

* * *

**Gringotts Bank**

Standing at the base of the steps leading to the front door, the group of four stared at the magnificent edifice of the building. Styled somewhat after the brilliant white Greek structures in Athens, the main doors were guarded by, to human eyes, strange and fierce looking armored creatures hefting wicked looking pikes.

Hermione giggled at the look on both boys' faces before reaching out and tapping their mouths closed with a finger. Harry's jaw snapped shut and he blinked a couple of times and shook his head to clear out the sudden cobwebs. Dudley made a bit of a squeak and brushed his hair nervously with his fingers.

Petunia snorted in amusement at their reactions, "Alright, listen up. The guards you see here and the tellers inside are known as Goblins. From what I remember Lily telling me is that they are a proud race of beings that originated from a race of warriors. Show them with respect and they will treat you in kind. Don't stare at them or touch anything that doesn't belong to you. Don't dither with your words either. To them, time is considered money and they hate it when they lose either."

She led them inside, past the guards who bowed them in. Hermione and Harry bowed back while Dudley commented that they looked 'wicked awesome.' (That got him fierce grins in return)

* * *

They got in line and waited patiently for a teller. When the next one was free, they approached and greeted the fierce looking Goblin.

"Hello, we have a couple of transactions needed to be done first and one request. First, I and Miss Granger need to exchange some Pounds to Galleons. The question I have is, do the Potter's have an account manager and is he available for a short meeting?" Petunia asked politely.

The teller glanced over at Harry before looking back at Petunia, "Does Mr. Potter have his key?"

Hagrid started, "Oh! Got that right here; Hang on a moment." He began digging through his coat's pockets.

Petunia gave him a suspicious look, "Why would you have it? How did you even get a copy?" She pursed her lips in consternation before pulling a gold key from her purse and handing it over. The teller looked it over and nodded once, slipped into a slot in his desk then pulled it out and handed it back. She turned back to Hagrid and demanded that he hand over his copy of the key. When he dithered, mumbling something about Dumbledore's orders, she spun around to the teller who merely nodded.

"All other keys have been nullified. The Potter account manager has been notified of your arrival. Now how much did you wish to exchange?"

* * *

Harry and Dudley were busy examining the gold, silver and bronze coins; Hermione was reading a 'bank services provided' flyer while Petunia was quietly arguing with Hagrid over the issue with the possession of the key and Dumbledore's involvement.

"Hagrid, I don't care what the headmaster wants you to do in regards to Harry. He's my nephew and charge. End of story. Push me on this and you'll find out that the temper that Lily was known for was not limited to just her." Hagrid's face took on a pallid tone as he mumbled his apologies.

A vaultrunner approached them and said he was there to take Harry to the meeting. Hermione asked him why just Harry; the vaultrunner explained that such a meeting was for heirs and their family only.

"But Dudley and my aunt _are_ family! Hermione is my best friend and I trust her completely," Harry interjected. He looked apologetically at Hagrid, "Sorry, Hagrid."

Hagrid waved him off and said that he had other things he needed to get done too so it wasn't that much of a hassle.

"Tell you what, Harry. Your aunt seems to have everything well under control and I have something I need to retrieve for the headmaster. I'll see you when you get up to the school, eh?" Harry thanked him and shook his hand before turning back to the impatient vaultrunner.

"Let's go."

* * *

The meeting with the manager, Daggerclaw, was fraught with tension at first. Apparently, the bank had been trying to send bank statements and requests for meetings for nearly a year but had received no response. Petunia informed him that he'd never received any sort of magical mail until his Hogwarts letter arrived.

"Most irregular," Daggerclaw mused.

"Now, I have here the most recent Will from my sister and her husband that I'd like to get filed. I have the feeling that the man who left Harry with us after that Halloween is using the other copy as an excuse to deny him access to his father's side of the family. I don't know why specifically but something seems…off about it. All this time and no one from the magical world have tried to visit us to make sure that we didn't need help in raising a magical child? What about other family members? Why haven't they contacted us? Very irregular in my book."

Daggerclaw agreed with her, "I shall then need to perform an audit on the account. It'll cost you fifty Galleons and will take upwards of a week to complete."

Petunia bowed her head, "That's fair; send the results to me. No need to bother Harry with this," She glanced over at Harry who nodded in agreement. "We also need to withdraw some money from his vault to buy his school supplies. Would we need to go down to the vault or should we go back to the teller? Also, does this bank offer services like a credit or debit card?"

Daggerclaw grinned slightly, "Those cards… I'm not familiar with them. Allow me some time to research that. I take it that they are a muggle invention?" Petunia nodded, "Very well. I would recommend traveling to your vault by way of the carts. I've been told that our carts are an experience not to be missed for first-timers."

* * *

After the harrowing roller coaster ride that was the carts and a quick stop in to see the vault (and withdraw about 200 Galleons), Petunia recommended that they stop at a tea shop to calm her nerves.

"I hate roller coasters," she grumbled as she held her head.

"Aunt Petunia? The trunk store is right there," Harry said pointing out the store, "Why don't you stay here until you feel better while Dudley, Hermione and I go take a look?"

Thinking for a moment, Petunia denied their request, "I want you all to stay with me. I'm not entirely comfortable being here on my own yet. Besides, I want to start a packing list of everything you'd need to take with you to Hogwarts."

Hermione being the ever-prepared, dug into her messenger bag and pulled out a spiral bound notebook and a pen. She handed those over to Petunia.

"Thank you, my dear. Now, let's divide this list into magical and non-magical so no one gets confused. On the left side here we'll have magical stores like Flourish and Blotts, Ollivander's, the apothecary…"

Hermione piped up, "Don't forget the stationary store, 'Tomes and Scrolls.'" Petunia wrote that down and glanced at the two boys expectantly.

Dudley was thinking hard, "A clothing store? How about a store that sells random stuff like the poundstore?"

Harry suggested the trunk store again, "We also need to check out the store that sells telescopes and ooh! Could I get an owl? The supply list said I could get an owl."

"I'll think about it, Harry. Owning a pet of any type is a big responsibility," Petunia replied even though she wrote it down.

"Now, that's the magical side taken care of. Next, are the non-magical stores. Right off the bat, I think we should wait until we get home before hitting up the Two Rivers shopping mall. I certainly don't want to be lugging all of our purchases here around a normal mall," Harry agreed with that before longingly glancing over at the trunk store.

Petunia snorted in amused laughter at him and waved them off.

* * *

**Humperdink's Holdalls and Trunks**

There was a tinkling of a bell when the kids entered, their eyes wide as they took in the huge selection of trunks and bags. Dudley picked up one bag dyed in an eye-watering bright green and read the label that said that it had a space-expansion charm on it and stuck his arm all the way up to his shoulder.

"That's amazing! The bag barely measures longer than my hand but I can get my whole arm in there."

"And it's on sale, young man." The kids jumped and spun around at the sound of an adult's voice behind them.

"Sorry! I didn't…" Dudley started to apologize.

The shopkeeper grinned and waved off his apologies, "I know the feeling. I'm muggleborn myself. So, shopping for your school trunk?" Dudley pointed to Harry.

Harry replied, "Yes, sir. I need a minimum of a three compartment trunk. I still have my mother's trunk but my aunt said that it would get me teased because of all the girly stickers and drawings so I need to find something for myself."

The shopkeeper nodded through his explanation, "Good idea. Last thing you want to have happen to you, Mr. Potter."

Harry's face grew puzzled, "How…"

"That face of yours is unmistakable as is that scar of yours. Not to worry though, I won't tell anyone that you were here. So, a three compartment trunk? Did you want anything else like a feather-light charm to make transporting easier? Maybe a magical signature lock to keep out unwanted and nosy fans?"

The bell went off again and they all looked up to see Petunia entering. Dudley waved his mother over and filled her in. Petunia nodding along and suggested that Harry get something durable as it would need to last seven years.

Hermione was perusing the owner's manual and had a question, "What if you wanted to add another compartment? This says that it's possible? Is it expensive?" The shopkeeper replied that it was a rather expensive add-on and most people usually got a larger trunk instead.

After a quiet consult with Petunia, Harry went ahead and got the three compartment trunk with the feather-light charm as well as the magical signature lock and charm to remotely alert him if someone tried to break into it.

* * *

**Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions**

Next stop was the magical clothiers to pick out his school robes. Harry didn't like the fact that he was going to look like he was attending class in a bathrobe.

"Oh, quit griping and just go in, you dork," Dudley snarked back, "I'm glad that I won't have to put up with this when I go to Smelting's."

Harry shoved him on the arm, "Yeah, you just have to wear those hideous colors. Seriously, someone must be color-blind there." Dudley shoved him back but before they could devolve into one of their usual wrestling matches, Petunia grabbed both and pulled them apart.

"Get in there you scamps before I decide to just pick out your robes myself. If I have to do that, you _won't_ like my choices!" she hissed at them. Hermione was heard giggling behind them.

* * *

Harry stood there in silent defeat as he was tugged, pushed, repositioned and poked with pins by the assistant as she got his robes fitted and chattered on about the exciting news that was going to be happening this year.

"What's so exciting about a new school year?" Petunia asked as she came back from the fabric stacks.

"Well, this is the year that little Harry Potter will be attending Hogwarts!" the assistant gushed. Harry caught his aunt's eye and rolled his. She smirked back and shook her head in exasperation.

"Really? I would've thought that Harry Potter would just get tutors and not bother with Hogwarts? I mean, having to hold back and wait for the slowest kids in the class? I think I'd go out of my mind," Harry said slyly to a now thoughtful assistant who then allowed for that very possibility.

After getting fitted, he was led over to where the different fabrics were and told that he was allowed to have whatever interior lining he wanted. He browsed around before landing on a beautiful metallic silver scale brocade. It looked like the interior was now lined with dragon scales.

"You have two more choices, if you'd like," the assistant reminded him. Harry sucked on his cheek before turning to Dudley and Hermione for help. Petunia had said that the choices were up to him.

Hermione came back with a shiny Damask knit in red and gold that had Harry smiling. She held it up and proclaimed it to be very regal and dashing. Nodding his agreement, she put it off to the side. Dudley came back lugging a bolt that resembled oversized metallic feathers. Both Harry and Hermione gave him a disgusted look though Dudley was unrepentant, 'Just in case you got into Ravenclaw, you can blend in with the rest of the birds.'

In the end, Petunia relented and helped Harry pick out a third choice of another brocade in floral medallion tawny port. It had the added benefit that it looked good in both plum and gold-ish tan.

* * *

**Slug and Jiggers Apothecary**

Hermione sighed as she entered the apothecary and not because of the aromas or stenches emanating from the shop. Dudley and Harry were acting like brainless boys again arguing about the various things they were seeing and were frankly getting on her nerves.

She whirled around on the two and growled, "Will you two just _stop!_ I'm getting sick of your bickering. Mrs. Dursley? Would it be okay if I were to go wait in the bookstore for you?"

Petunia patted her on the shoulder, "Good idea. I'll wrangle the beasts while you take a break. I'll tell you what, why don't I pick up the standard year one's potion kit and you can just pay me back?" Hermione thanked her and scampered off to the bookstore.

With a pointed glare at the boys who now looked contrite at causing Hermione's frustration, Petunia entered the store and made a face at the olfactory assault.

"Welcome to Slug and Jiggers Apothecary, how might I help you?" the shopkeeper greeted them.

Petunia pushed Harry forward and took Dudley's arm, "I'm warning you now. Touch _anything_ and you're going to regret it. Do you understand?" He nodded his agreement frantically.

* * *

**Ollivander's Wandshop**

Harry was trying not to bounce when Petunia relented and allowed him to visit the wand shop. She'd asked him why he'd want to go there when he _made_ his own wand. He replied that he and Ollivander had written back and forth regarding the core of his wand and wanted to meet the man in person. The door bell jingled as he entered and was nearly knocked over by the overwhelming sense of magic hanging in the air. The scent of various woods and resins tickled his nose while his eyes roamed across the seemingly endless stacks of boxes, each one containing a wand.

"Ah, I was wondering when I'd be seeing you, Mr. Potter," said a slightly elderly voice. Harry's face lit up at the sight of the legendary wand maker.

"Mr. Ollivander! It's so good to meet you in person after all this time of just writing letters," Harry responded warmly (when he thought back on the conversation, he shuddered at how fanboy it all sounded.)

Garrick Ollivander smiled at the energetic child, "It seemed like only yesterday when your mother and father were coming in here to buy their first wands." He tilted his head in thought, "though I daresay that you're not in here for that?"

Harry pulled out his personally crafted wand and held it out handle first. Ollivander gently took the wand in hand and began his expert examination.

"Most unusual… Canarywood… ten and one-quarter inches precisely. Fairly pliant… C-cores? Two cores, Mr. Potter?"

Harry nodded enthusiastically, "Yeah, remember those letters that I sent you about that? The arithmancy?"

Ollivander slowly nodded his head as the memory came back to him, "Yes, now I remember. Odd choices… Ostrich feather with horn shavings from a Horned Serpent. How is it working for you?" He asked as he handed the wand back to its owner.

Harry grinned as he waved his wand, spoke the incantation and caused a box to float off the counter.

Ollivander clapped his hands in approval, "Then you have no need for a wand from me. Curious though, I wonder which of my wands would've matched you had you not already had your own?"

Harry shrugged, "No point in finding out now. The wands wouldn't like it."

The two of them talked shop until Petunia came in to see what was holding him up. Garrick asked Harry to continue to write to him after getting settled at school. Waving his goodbyes, they left the store.

* * *

Next up was Flourish and Blotts. They easily found Hermione examining the shelves for things other than the textbooks. Dudley had disappeared into the creature section while Harry went into the crafts. Petunia floated around the fiction section, idly wondering what it might've been like if she could've learned magic on her own at home while Lily went off to Hogwarts. She had a light-hearted conversation with the wife of the bookstore owner about missing the opportunity of learning magic all those years ago.

She called out to the boys and managed to drag Hermione away from the store and led the three kids onwards.

* * *

Their next stop was the store that sold everything they'd need for the sciences like Herbology and Astronomy, such as they were. Petunia had once commented that a magical's view of science was like watching those historical documentaries on the telly where a demonstration of the invention of magnetism was almost like a show at a rock concert. Hermione was busy examining the best telescope on sale and shaking her head in derision.

"Harry? Let's not bother with these telescopes. They're horribly limited and the optics are just terrible. There's a fuzzing around the edge that tells me that whoever it was that made them have no idea on how to grind lenses properly."

The same thing held true at the stationary store. The list didn't specifically state that Harry and Hermione would _have_ to have parchment and write with quills. It was after a brief discussion that they would buy a couple of ink pots and a roll of parchment for tests or homework that had to be handed in but for any note writing, the two of them would just stick with the normal spiral bound notebooks and regular pens and pencils.

Dudley was puzzled, "Then what are they gonna write with in class?"

Petunia smirked slyly, "Fountain pens. They have the normal grip that you're used to using with regular pens but can be loaded with that magical ink the teachers would most likely want you to use."

Harry made a face, "I think we should practice with one of these pens before we get to the school too. I don't have a clue on how to write with one."

* * *

The group of four took a break and had lunch at the Leaky Cauldron. Dudley went with a corned beef on rye sandwich with hot mustard and a side of sliced fruit, Harry had the soup of the day; a hearty minestrone with crusty bread to sop up the juices. Petunia tried finding a salad but to no avail. (Magicals hadn't achieved the wherewithal to think of healthy options yet.) She ended up ordering a plate of roasted and lightly seasoned half chicken and steamed vegetables. Hermione went with a chopped lemon-pepper chicken on wheat sandwich with a side of hearts of celery and mushroom sauce. They all just stuck with chilled water to drink.

They spent the time discussing future plans for their non-magical shopping. Hermione shyly mentioned that she had some 'personal' shopping that she wanted her mum there for. Harry nearly made the mistake of asking what sort of 'personal' shopping but quickly clammed up after a pointed stare from Petunia.

* * *

**Eeylop's Owl Emporium**

Their last stop within Diagon Alley was to see if there was an owl that would be willing to work with Harry. The moment they walked in and got their bearings, their choice was taken away from them. There was a quiet rustling of feathers and before Harry could ask, he felt a pair of clawed feet gently gripping his shoulder. He looked up in awe at the most majestic and regally beautiful Snowy Owl. The owl hooted to the store's occupants that she had claimed her human and glared at everyone else to try and stop her.

"Wow! She's beautiful…" Harry heard Dudley exclaim as he reached up and stroked the bird's chest feathers.

Petunia just kind of choked up in mirth, "Well, I guess that's settled."

* * *

With their magical shopping done for the time being (they had no illusions that there might be a need to go back for things they missed); the four weary shoppers and one feathered pet made their way home with a hired cab. They made a brief stop at the Grangers to drop off Hermione; Dudley cheered tiredly when their car pulled up to their driveway. When they got in, Vernon surprised them all that he'd already gotten dinner started and that it'd be ready within an hour. Dudley and Harry were directed to take their stuff up to their rooms.

Vernon looked in askance at his wife as he handed her a glass of wine, "Dudley got something as well?"

Petunia smiled her thanks and took a sip, "Just a couple of books on history and animals."

"So how was it? Did you accomplish everything you wanted?"

Petunia rolled her eyes, growled a bit in muted frustration and took another swig of the wine before launching into a detailed description of the problems that surfaced in the bank. Vernon made sympathetic noises and shook his head at the idiocy of the magical world.

"Do I need to go in with our bank records to prove that we've never received any financial help?"

Petunia hemmed about that, "Let's see what this audit reveals before we do anything."

* * *

_**Up in Harry's room…** _

Harry had just finished dropping his books and clothes onto his bed and gently removed his owl from her cage. He placed her down on the desk and began petting her feathers.

"First thing you and I need to do is to choose a name for you. Something regal, something that will have others saying, 'Now there's a classy bird.'" The owl hooted her agreement. Harry dug through his books and settled on the history book as he felt it would have the best chance of finding a suitable name. After about forty-five minutes of losing himself within the pages, he glanced up at the owl who had settled herself on his headboard and appeared to be reading along.

Cheekily he said, "What if I were to name you 'Lily'? After all, you're lily white." That earned him a slap on the head with a wing. "Right, right. You don't need something so obvious and lame."

The two of them continued in silence with the occasional calling out of a name before they both agreed on the name of 'Hedwig.'

Petunia came in to see if he had any clothes that needed to be washed and to remind him that dinner would be ready in about five minutes, "Have you chosen a name yet for her?"

Harry replied that they'd agreed upon 'Hedwig.' Petunia's look of bemusement forced him to explain the history of that name originally belonging to the first witch to be appointed to the directorship of Saint Mungo's Hospital as well as being the patron saint of orphans. Petunia smiled sadly at the mention of him being an orphan. Straightening herself up, she directed him to gather his clothes to be washed and get ready for dinner. She also opened up the bedroom window and suggested that Hedwig take the time between now and when they left for school to get used to the area and hunt for her meals. The newly named Hedwig hooted happily before launching herself out the window.

* * *

The next morning, bright and early had Hermione along with Dan and Emma showing up at the Dursley's to get a jump on their non-magical shopping. Being that it was a Saturday meant that both adult males could join in on the festivities. Dudley joked that his father was only coming along to make sure that his mum and Harry didn't go spending more than they needed.

Harry playfully slugged his cousin on the shoulder, "You were there at the Alley. You saw how everything was like going to an amusement park. 'Buy our stuff with only our money!' I bet you half of what was there could be found a heck of a lot cheaper and in better quality here in the normal world. We're just making sure that we get our money's worth."

They split the group along gender lines into the two cars and headed up to the Two Rivers Shopping District in Staines-upon-Thames. Upon entering the retailer, Vernon and Dan headed off to the electronics department; Emma took Hermione to the girls department while Petunia took the boys to their department.

"Mum? Why am I here? I don't need any clothes," Dudley whined, looking forlornly in the direction the adult males went towards.

"Hush, Dudley. You might find something interesting. If you're that bored, there's a bench you can sit on," Petunia muttered as she began to pick through the polo shirts on the rack and pulling out the ones that were Harry's size and color preference. Harry in the meantime was sorting through the underwear and socks packages and picking out the ones he wanted.

Dudley flopped down onto the bench and grumbled to himself that he should've just gone with his dad then started complaining that there was nothing to do. The sales floor worker smiled in commiseration at the grumpy boy and offered to let him help her sort the returned clothes to be put back onto the shelves. Shrugging his shoulders in indifference, Dudley began helping.

"Fun day of shopping planned, eh?" the worker asked.

Dudley wobbled his head in disinterested agreement, "Cousin's going away to a boarding school in Scotland."

"Not you?" Dudley shook his head no.

"No, I'm going to a different school. His parents had already set up where he was going. It's fine though, I wouldn't want to be at the same school with him like I was in primary. It'd be boring!"

* * *

While Dudley was getting chatty with the sales worker, Harry and Petunia were discussing what else he'd need while in Scotland. It was easily decided that shorts were out as were anything too dressy like button-down shirts or slacks. The polo shirts would be the limit of the upper end of fashion. Harry agreed to at least a small rainbow of colors for them.

"Sure you don't want this pink one, Harry?" Petunia teased; Harry's face was the picture of preteen boy disgust.

They moved onto the T-shirts where as long as the pictures and logos weren't too mature, Harry was allowed to pick out what he wanted. He ended up with half a dozen of different DC and Marvel comic prints, a couple with Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, three that had some kind of dragon in a fierce pose and one that was had a thermochromic ability to change colors based on how warm the wearer got.

Petunia kept her eye on Dudley and waved to him, letting him know that they were okay and what he was doing was alright as well. Harry found the selection of jackets and pulled out a light windbreaker in an emerald green.

"Don't forget to get a heavier one as well," Petunia reminded him as she sorted through the jogger bottoms.

* * *

Right about the time when the two of them were finished assembling their purchases, Vernon and Dan arrived with Hermione and Emma in tow.

Vernon looked around in the racks but didn't see his son, "Where's Dudley?"

Harry pointed him out sitting on the bench still chatting away with the sales worker. Vernon called his name and waved him over. Dudley said something quick to the worker and hurried over.

"Right, you lot. How about we get these things paid for and grab something for lunch?"

The kids let out a hearty cheer and began throwing out ideas on where to go for lunch. Petunia slid in next to Emma and began comparing what the other had bought. After many rounds of 'What do you want to eat?' it was decided upon McDonald's just to get it done with and out of the way.


	5. Chapter 5

**Interlude:** **Just after the events of the shopping trip in Diagon Alley.**

"Headmaster? I have the package you asked me to retrieve," Hagrid rumbled as he entered Dumbledore's office.

Taking the small package, Albus looked up to see some consternation marring his colleague's face, "No trouble there, Hagrid?"

"No, Headmaster. Nothing regarding the retrieval. It's just that when I went to go pick up little Harry Potter, his aunt demanded to come along with," he squirmed a bit, "She may have gotten a bit…feisty with me in the bank. Told me when we were standing before the Goblins that she wanted my copy of the Potter key and that she didn't care one whit about your wishes."

This put a frown on Albus' face; the Dursleys were not supposed to be so…supportive of the boy. The wards he'd set up should've pushed them towards feeling animosity towards the boy. This bore investigating. Letting out a long sigh of mild annoyance, he thanked Hagrid for his assistance and dismissed the large man to go back to whatever else needed to be done in preparation for the coming year.

Deciding that he needed to go to the Alley to look into things, Albus flooed to the Leaky Cauldron and began making careful inquiries to the shops that were required for new students. All had nothing but the miniscule amount of praise for the boy and his family. They were rather busy and couldn't really take the time to chat further. It wasn't until he stopped in to Ollivander's that he was able to get more information.

"Wha- what do you mean he didn't get the Holly wand?" Albus stammered in shock.

Garrick didn't even pause in his sweeping of the sales floor, "Just what I said, Albus. The boy already had a wand with him. Beautifully crafted and clearly a proper fit."

"Did you at least _try_ to get him to fit to the Holly wand?" Albus demanded.

Garrick shook his head minutely at the other man's ravings, "You know very well that's not how things are done, Albus. Now, was there anything else I can help you with?" Albus merely growled out a 'no' and left in a hurry. The wandmaker sighed and sat down at his workspace, muttering about the idiocy of people trying to tell him how to do his job.

* * *

**Little Whinging, Surrey**

With the sound of screeching tires and brakes on the driveway, Harry leapt off his bike and threw his fists up in triumphant glory.

"Ha! I did it! I did it!" he chanted as he danced a jig around his fallen bicycle just as there were the sounds of two more pairs of screeches from the bikes Hermione and Dudley were riding.

Dudley was panting hard but managed to croak out, "I… need to… get outside… more often…"

Hermione pushed her sweaty hair out of her face and mutely nodded in exhaustion.

All three turned to the sound of Vernon calling out his congratulations.

"Way to go, Harry. Great job on…whatever it was you were doing," he finished before turning and resuming his conversation with their next door neighbor.

* * *

_**Over at the fence…** _

"What was that about, Vernon?" Mr. Pembrost asked, jutting his chin in the direction of the kids who were now flopping down on the lawn.

Vernon chuckled, "Harry and Hermione have had this competition going since they both discovered their shared love of riding bikes. First person to reach whichever house they're heading to gets to choose the activities for the rest of the day. Hermione's the bookish sort while Harry is more of the outdoorsy type."

Mr. Pembrost laughed.

* * *

While they were chatting, the trio of kids were lounging on the grass catching their breath.

"So, Harry?" Dudley began, "Nervous about going off to Hogwarts?"

Harry lazily played with a blade of grass, "Yeah, I guess. I'm not looking forward to being gawked at like some animal at the zoo."

Hermione patted his hand then leant back on hers, "Don't worry, Harry. You got me to protect your sweet innocence." The two boys stared at each other then as once turned to her before all three broke down in gales of laughter.

Dudley noticed a large bird heading for the house, "Is that an owl?"

Harry swung around in the direction Dudley had pointed out and squinted, "Yeah, it is. I wonder who'd be foolish enough to send an owl to us in broad daylight?"

Hermione chewed briefly on her lower lip, "Well, who'd you write to last in the magical world?"

Harry shrugged, "No one recently. The only place that I can think of that could have a need to contact us would be Gringotts."

They watched as the owl swooped overhead and into the backyard. The three glanced at each other before getting up and headed inside.

* * *

_**Inside the Dursley residence…** _

"Aunt Petunia? Did we get an owl?" Harry called out as they rushed through the front door.

Petunia peeked through the open doorway to the kitchen and nodded while suspiciously chewing on something that resembled a biscuit.

"We have biscuits?" Dudley asked hopefully. Treats like that weren't all that common in their house given the Dursley male tendencies towards easy weight gain.

"Mm, no Dudley. That was a digestive I ate after finishing lunch. Phew! You two stink, ugh. Boy stench! Go wash!" she admonished, waving her hands in a shooing motion.

The trio disappeared towards the bathrooms before returning a few moments later and plunked down on the stools facing the counter; each had a curious look on their faces. Petunia finished wiping her hands and began assembling a quick ham sandwich for each of them.

"So who was the owl from?" Dudley asked as he reached for his sandwich.

"Hmm? Oh, it was from Daggerclaw over at Gringotts. Harry, after you get done with your sandwich, I want you to go take a shower and wear something nice. We need to go see the Goblins about the audit they performed on your family account." Harry mutely nodded his understanding as he munched on his sandwich.

Vernon came in and was handed one as well as being informed about the letter. He replied that he'd be coming along as she would probably need a second or third set of eyes to go over the books.

* * *

**Gringotts Bank**

Since Hermione was going to be with them all day and with her parents at work; it was decided to bring her along. They promised all three that they would be allowed to visit their favorite shops after the bank so to be on their best behavior. Daggerclaw met them in the lobby and led them to his office.

Gesturing for them to take a seat, Daggerclaw opened the meeting, "Thank you for arriving so promptly, Mr. and Mrs. Dursley and Mr. Potter. Well, let's get started shall we? I'm sorry to report that Albus Dumbledore has been playing sticky fingers with all sorts of things with the Potter Family Accounts. Property sold, artifacts taken, money transferred, the works…"

"May I see the ledger?" Daggerclaw slid the book over and Vernon began examining it. He brought out a flipbook and a pen and began taking notes. He started making little murmurs about the various line items. He paused at one point before digging into a folder he'd brought with them and consulted it.

"Daggerclaw? There seems to be a discrepancy, well there's a whole bunch, but this line here," he pointed out the suspect line, "We've never received any sort of monies from this account to offset raising Harry. Here's my latest bank statement and our own ledger in comparison." He slid both back to the Goblin who scrunched his face up in consternation while slowly nodding his head.

Finally sitting back in his chair, Daggerclaw let out a low growl, "Dumbledore needs to spend some quality time with our dragons for this travesty." He then wrote something down on a piece of parchment and dropped it into a slot on his desk. "I've sent word to Dumbledore's account manager to come here and explain himself. In the meantime, let's continue."

Petunia mumbled to herself as she went over the list of things that were taken, "A cloak of invisibility? That's a real thing?" Daggerclaw made a noise of indifference. "Let's see, I knew about the cottage in Godric's Hollow. A Keep? Must be a naming convention… In Wales, though?" She glanced up at the Goblin.

"The Potter family originated in Wales." Daggerclaw replied. Petunia gestured with a finger in an "aha" understanding.

"Given how old the Potter's are; I'm surprised they don't have properties all over the world, more money than the Queen and other instances of incredible wealth," Vernon commented as he continued to go over the books.

"Well, according to the list here, they have the two houses; something called a pensieve, that invisibility cloak, ceramics and pottery from various eras in multiple museums and galleries. On top of that, there's a number of books that were taken, a proxy in their government and a LOT of money stolen."

Harry piped up at that moment, "How much money?"

All three adults glanced over at him and he kind of shrank back in embarrassment.

"Harry dear, Albus stole nearly a million and half Galleons from your account along with a host of other things he had no right to." Harry's mouth dropped open in shock.

"And I have to be in the same castle as him?" he worriedly asked.

Petunia scooped him up in her arms, "Don't you worry about that. Now that your uncle and I are aware of it, we'll be doing everything we can to assist Daggerclaw in getting reparations from that mean old man. You just worry about studying and doing well in school."

There was a knock at the door and another Goblin entered when bid. Daggerclaw growled in annoyance at the sight of the entering Goblin, "Bogrod… figures. Explain yourself and your smear of gabrek snot of a client's actions against the Potters!"

Bogrod merely raised an eyebrow in desultory response. Daggerclaw demanded to know why and how Dumbledore managed to get his sticky fingers onto the Potter account when he had no legal right.

Bogrod replied in an oily manner that set even Harry's teeth on edge, "Albus Dumbledore is the boy's legal magical guardian. He was granted this by their Wizengamot on the 2nd of November 1981." He presented the declaration and handed it over to Daggerclaw who snatched it out of the other's hand.

After quickly scanning, he let out another growl, "Bastard. Legal loopholes and such."

Petunia grew worried, "Is there nothing that can be done? Maybe some sort of loophole that was missed like… I don't know, declaring him emancipated?" Daggerclaw shook his head.

"That only works if the child in question is at minimum fifteen years of age and can provide proof that they have a steady source of income and their own residence." He dismissed Bogrod then leaned back in his chair massaging the bridge of his nose.

Vernon chuckled quietly before noticing that everyone was staring at him, "Oh, I was just laughing that since he's such a, what did you call him? A smear of something, his name ought to be 'Bog roll.'"

Silence pervaded the room for a moment before Daggerclaw burst out laughing. Shaking his head at the mental image, the Goblin continued to chuckle, "Good one, Mr. Dursley. I need to remember that. Okay, I think for the time being and until we can find out more, we should just continue as if things haven't changed. Better to let him think that no one's the wiser while we continue to look into other options." The others sadly nodded their agreement.

* * *

_**Outside of Gringott's…** _

With everything they'd learned about the so-called "Great Albus Dumbledore" and his manipulations over the Potter accounts, it was decided that since there was nothing that could be done they should put off worrying about it until Daggerclaw could get back to them.

"So since we're here, where'd you all want to look at?" Vernon asked the others.

"I want to go into the bookstore!" Hermione exclaimed causing the two boys to laugh. She whapped Harry on the arm as Dudley had jumped out of the way. Dudley wanted to check out the pet store while Harry said he wanted to stop in at the wand shop again.

Vernon spoke up, "I like the idea of the bookstore first. That way if I get too tired, I can go sit in the car."

Petunia brought up that if that was the case, there was a nice teashop that had a nice selection and would also keep the family together. She turned to her son, "Not to treat you like someone who needs constant supervision, Dudley but I don't want you going into that pet store without an adult. Who knows what sort of magical creatures they'd have in there?"

When they entered the bookstore, Hermione let out an excited squeal of delight and immediately disappeared into the stacks. Petunia chuckled at the girl's enthusiasm and settled herself in an open chair. Vernon went in search of something 'normal' in Beeman's while Harry and Dudley went to go see what was available for kids their age.

"Can I help you find something to read, my dear?" Petunia looked up from her introspection to see the owner of Flourish and Blotts looking concernedly at her.

Smiling pleasantly, Petunia shook her head and said that she was waiting for the rest of her herd to pick out something. Mr. Flourish laughed knowingly and left to it.

* * *

Petunia finally decided that an hour was enough time to peruse the store so she went in search of the kids first. She found the boys by the simple method of listening for their voices. The two were holed up in the non-fiction section apparently poring over a creature identification book.

"Harry? Dudley? You two about ready to go?"

"Aunt Petunia! Yeah, I'm ready," Harry started in surprise, "Where's Hermione?"

Petunia shrugged, "I went in search of you two first so go put that book away. Vernon's in Beeman's and I want to get the pet store out of the way next." She turned and led the two boys in search of their friend.

* * *

**Magical Menagerie**

The store wasn't that difficult to find as the family approached that end of the Alley. The sounds of barking, hooting and other noises (and smells) associated with animals made that quite easy. They entered the store and peeked around into the cages and tanks of the various critters that were for sale.

Harry was wandering through the section dedicated to the reptilian species when he thought he heard something lamenting about their miserable lives. Puzzled, he continued on until he came to a tank with several snakes inside. One particular green snake was curled up, separate from the others.

**_"Oh, another human to stare at me. Wonderful. I hope this one has the brainpower to feed us."_ **

Scrunching his face up in confusion, Harry commented, **_"Why would I stare at you? I heard you calling for help."_**

If it were possible to look shocked, this snake managed it, **_"A, a Speaker! Oh, and talking to me no less!"_**

**_"Yes, I am. What seems to be the problem?"_ **

The snake shrugged its tail, **_"The human that runs this shop hasn't been by to give us our food yet. It's been a few days and we think he may have forgotten."_**

Harry told the snake that he'd be right back. He returned with the shopkeeper in tow and a small tub of live mice.

"What's this about the snakes saying that they haven't been fed yet, young man? How would you know that?"

Harry had felt the need to keep his newfound ability quiet so he replied that he'd seen the snakes mouthing each other and according to the books he'd read, when a snake started trying to eat each other it meant that food was scarce and they would try to eliminate the competition. Cocking his head in thought, the shopkeeper allowed that was a possibility before using a pair of tongs and dropping in a mouse to each snake. There was a flurry of terrified squeaks from the mice and a rustling of snakes hissing their pleasure. Harry grimaced at the sight and left them to their meal.

* * *

Harry found Dudley examining a play area that contained puppies. He was about to reach in to pet one when Harry grabbed his arm and pointed to a sign that read, "Do not touch the animals." Dudley screwed his face up dejectedly but nodded and turned away.

"Find anything interesting, Harry?" he asked his cousin.

"Yeah, but I'll tell you later. Something happened that I'm not sure I want getting out."

"Okay, let's go find mum and Hermione."

Naturally they found Hermione reading over the books and pamphlets about proper care for the various animals while Petunia was peering curiously at a couple of magical rabbits that kept turning themselves into top hats. She glanced up when she spotted the two boys approaching.

"Everything alright?" Harry looked kind of pensive.

Dudley replied that he was done and that Harry had something he wanted to tell them later at home.

Petunia quirked an eyebrow up at that but said nothing. She gathered Hermione and they left the store.

* * *

**Ollivander's Wand Shop**

Harry breathed a sigh of relief when he entered the wand shop. After that confusing experience in the pet store, it was a welcome feeling he had as he walked in. The smell of wood and resin calmed his shaken nerves.

"Hello again, Mr. Potter. What brings you by this time?" Garrick said as he got up from where he was sitting at his desk.

"Hello, Mr. Ollivander. My aunt and uncle and I had some business at the bank so as a reward for being patient, the three of us got to go to our favorite stores."

Garrick peered over the rims of his glasses at the children, coming to a stop at Hermione.

"I can see that you have already been fitted with a wand as well. One of Mr. Potter's I presume?"

Hermione beamed happily, "Yes, sir. I love it. I've already been able to try out some spells and they've worked wonderfully.

Garrick smiled at the exuberant girl, "I'm glad to hear that, my dear. If I may, may I take a look at it?"

Hermione pulled out her wand from her purse and handed it over. Garrick ran his fingers expertly over the wood shaft and commented on its quality craftsmanship to Harry.

"Come see me after you've completed your OWLs, Mr. Potter. If you're willing, I think you would make an excellent apprentice. After all, I'm getting up there in age and I'll need someone to carry on the legacy of wandcrafting."

Harry's mouth dropped open in surprise and his eyes widened, "Thank you, Mr. Ollivander! That's definitely something to think about."

Turning back to Hermione's wand, Garrick continued his examination, "Unusual wood selection seems to be your specialty, Mr. Potter. Unusual and expensive… Cocobolo if I'm not mistaken?" Harry nodded and said that he'd gotten a pretty deep discount for the wood because it was part of an order from the lumber yard that had gotten damaged in transit and wasn't able to be sold to its original destination. Garrick nodded in commiseration to the poor treatment of the lumber.

"Springy with a core of mermaid scales?"

"I matched the core to Hermione's personality of always changing things to match her moods." Hermione nudged him with her elbow and scrunched her nose at him, "No offense, Hermione but you're kind of nerdy and always inventing new games or changing old games to suit the new ones. It just kind of fits."

"And the gemstone? Again, unusual to find gemstones in modern wands."

"I chose that to help keep her grounded while at the same time assist her in combining insights from the knowledge she gains in learning. It acts like a capacitor to smooth out the flow of magic."

Garrick nodded thoughtfully before waving her wand and producing a bouquet of flowers then handing both back to Hermione. She smiled prettily and stepped back, burying her nose in the flowers.

He then turned to Dudley but frowned, "You young man are not magical."

Dudley straightened up and shook his head then crossed his arms, "Nope, just your average run of the mill muggle. I'm his cousin and I'm happy with what I have, or don't have. If there's something that needs doing magically, I can wait until he gets home."

Garrick smiled, "That's a good attitude to have, young man. Just because you can't wave a wand does not mean that you can't perform magic."

"I know. I think my magic will take the form of wanting to help others find solutions to their own learning problems." Garrick tilted his head in question. "I have a problem with reading where the words seem to be jumbled or rearranged weird. I've been getting help and someday I want to do the same to help others."

Garrick was pleased to hear that. Once more he focused on Harry, "Mr. Potter, I've noticed that your wands do not have the runes to activate the Trace as is required by the Ministry."

Harry grew pensive and kind of hemmed and hawed about answering so Hermione took over, "I'm the one who's really interested in runes sir and every time he tried to inscribe the array, the wand would stop working…in spectacular ways sometimes. I had no idea that a wand could explode like that."

Garrick Ollivander had been a wand crafter for many years and thought he'd heard or knew nearly everything there was to the craft but this surprised him. "Do you have a copy of the array on you? Perhaps you missed a symbol?"

Hermione glanced down at her hands and shuffled her feet, "I'm sorry sir, but I don't have it on me." She perked up though, "I could write to you?"

"I'd like that my dear. It's so rare these days to find youngsters so in tune with what they want to learn."

* * *

When Petunia and Vernon entered the store to round up their wayward charges, Garrick made a decision and waved the adults over to them.

"Madam, Sir; I feel compelled to tell you that Albus Dumbledore has been inquiring about young Mr. Potter's selection of a wand. I did not tell him that the boy made his own wand but let the old man infer that it wasn't anyone he knew. His original intention was for a specific wand to be matched and sold to Mr. Potter for reasons I'm not too sure about."

Vernon's face grew dark, "May we know more about this particular wand? What makes it so special that that old goat wanted Harry specifically to have it?"

Garrick held up a finger for them to wait a moment before shuffling off to go get the box. When he came back, opened the box and held up the wand.

"Holly wood shaft, measuring eleven inches long and possessing a phoenix feather core. The feather in fact came from the same phoenix that gave one other feather. That one, I'm sorry to say, is the core to the wand of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

"Phoenix feathers? Doesn't Dumbledore have a phoenix as a familiar?" Petunia asked the wand crafter. Garrick tilted his head in approval of her knowledge. "Figures. Okay so what does that mean, that the two wands share the same type of core from the same bird?"

Garrick slowly put the wand back in the box as he gathered his thoughts on how to explain the eccentricities of wand lore.

"There are some who say that when two wand cores from the same animal are used in combat against each other, they will…cancel it each other out. The why is unclear, not enough research has been done into the topic. I suspect that Albus had hoped to test your nephew and the wand in hopes of more understanding. At least, I hope it's for something that benign. With Albus, you can never tell what sort of convoluted plan he's got going around in that mind of his."

Petunia pursed her lips in distaste while Vernon was muttering sulphurously about the old goat.

"Thank you, Mr. Ollivander. We'll be sure to keep that in mind should we ever meet the headmaster."

* * *

**Headmaster's Office, Hogwarts Castle**

Albus was staring off into space, his mind trying to see all the possible angles and changes that would have to be done to keep his plans from getting thrown out of alignment.

' _Could this be the power he knows not? Wand crafting? It seems so unlikely.'_ He glanced up and over to his phoenix who was staring back at him, bottomless black eyes meeting shimmering blue ones.

"Well my old friend, the traps have been laid. It's all we can do until the time is right to confront my old adversary and greatest mistake. When young Harry comes to Hogwarts, we shall see what this 'power he knows not' is all about."


	6. Chapter 6

**1 September 1991 Dursley Residence, early morning**

It was early in the morning and once again as had been the case since he'd gotten his Letter; Harry had been unable to fall back to sleep, excited as he was to _finally_ be going to Hogwarts. Nothing he tried helped, except for maybe occasionally taking a small teaspoon sized dose of a liquid cough medicine. He didn't like it as it made him loopy the next day and hoped that the lack of sleep would sort itself out when he finally got to the castle.

' _If anything, I could probably catch some sleep on the train.'_

He finally gave it up as a bad job and opened up his wand crafting toolkit and picked up a white pine wood blank and his carving tools. He liked the pine because of its ease in carving and because even if he messed up, it was cheap enough to just toss and start over again. As he was shaping the blank, his eyes roved over his collection of the more expensive blanks, let his mind wander down memory lane and back to the beginning when the cost of getting into this hobby first reared its ugly head.

* * *

**Flashback**

"You want to spend _how much_ on a pile of wood?" Vernon yelped after Harry told him that he needed fifty pounds to buy a plank of English Oak. "No way… just, no." He took a deep calming breath and turned to face his nephew who had started to look upset.

"I tell you what, Harry. Why don't you start simply? We have plenty of trees in the neighborhood that you can at least learn how to carve properly. I know that there's a tree trimming service that's coming by this Saturday; maybe they'll be nice to let you have some of the scraps?" Harry nodded his acceptance morosely.

Petunia leant up against the wall and reached out with her closer hand to gently brush his hair with her hand, "There's another solution too. How about getting a part time job? A paper route delivering newspapers would be a good start. It'd get you some exercise; it'd be early morning so you can spend the rest of the day reading up on how to start carving."

Vernon agreed with this, "That's a fine idea, Pet! Plus, there are so many opportunities for a go-getter if you're interested. Why just off the top of my head, there's probably a local woodshop that could probably trade some scraps and pieces in exchange for you to come in and dust or take out their trash cans."

* * *

So Harry undertook the challenge to earn the money to fund his efforts. He talked with the local tree trimming service and they were happy to let him pick through the piles of cut wood in exchange for helping in the cleanup. He looked through the phone book and called several woodshops and found one nearby that was willing to have someone as young as he was to take out their garbage, to dust the furniture and to vacuum their offices and sales floor in exchange for some off-cuts and learning the properties of the different species when they found out what it was that he was attempting to do. (He told them he was learning how to carve wood into things like those figures he'd seen in the museums, not that he was learning to make wands.) They were perhaps the greatest source of knowledge outside of the summer crafting camps, as they taught him proper safety and how to use the various hand and power tools associated with woodworking.

After he was hired by the local newspaper to deliver the morning papers and demonstrated that he had the drive and determination to make this venture work, Vernon announced one afternoon that he would match whatever Harry would earn each payday. Harry surprised him and frankly everyone when the money started rolling in. Vernon worked with Harry in understanding how finances worked and how to set a budget as well as going in with him to set up a savings account with their bank. They worked it out that Harry would limit himself to a budget of no more than £500 for the year. This would include the cost of tools, lumber, books and any sort of incidentals. If he ran out before the start of the next fiscal year, he was out of luck.

In addition to his paper route, he earned money through chores around the house, from his elderly neighbors by running a grocery delivery service and mowing the neighborhood lawns.

* * *

One evening, Harry was curled up with a woodcrafter's book on how to carve woods for fun and profit he'd found in the library when he realized that there were a couple of items that he had no idea where to purchase them.

"Aunt Petunia?" She looked up from her knitting, "Any idea where I could buy the materials for cores and things like that?"

Petunia pondered that for a moment, "Not offhand, no. Mm, what about that teacher of yours? Miss Honeybloom? You said that she's a witch, right?"

He nodded and wrote himself a note to speak with her on Monday after school.

* * *

Belinda Honeybloom was all in favor of helping him out when he explained his circumstances. She also suggested that he and his family take some trips to Sherwood Forest. At his curious expression, she explained that it was one of the ancient woods that dotted the English landscape that had a strong magical connection.

"You can also try the Epping Forest near London. Dartmoor too, is high up on the ancient magical forest list as is Wistman. I know that in Wistman there's a rumored colony of wild elves."

"Elves? Like Santa's elves? Are they friendly?"

Belinda shrugged, "No, not like Santa's elves; at least not the muggle idea of Santa. These elves are about three feet tall, have large bat-like ears and tennis ball sized eyes. They tend to shy away from the adults though they might make themselves known to a child. They're rumored to help lost or stranded children find their way back to the adults."

"Why do they shy themselves away from the adults?"

Belinda took and released a deep sigh, "Probably because the adults might try to capture them. According to the rumor, they were originally servants to some really nasty families but they escaped and fled to the woods. It's not a nice subject to talk about." Harry looked sad but accepted this.

* * *

It was during the summer right before his ninth birthday when Harry learned that there were gemstone and mineral quarries that were open to the public. All you had to do was pay a small fee, the bucket and shovel were provided; however lunch, water and protective gear (it was usually hot with no shade) were your own responsibility. After much pleading and promises to behave themselves, Harry and Dudley managed to convince the adults to take them to dig for gems.

When they got there, Petunia took one look at what was involved and decided to park herself at the visitor's center and let the boys 'play in the dirt.' Dudley was the big winner that day; he found a blue topaz crystal as big as his thumb. The quarry owner took a picture of the crystal and its proud new owner. Everyone was stunned by how much it was worth when they stopped by a jeweler on whim to get it appraised.

" _It's how much?"_ Petunia asked in a shocked whisper. She felt faint when the jeweler said that once the crystal was cut, it would weigh in at approximately 22 carats and could potentially sell for upwards of £5000!

Vernon looked almost as stunned and in a tone that brooked no argument informed Dudley that they'd be putting the crystal in his bank account for safekeeping.

* * *

**Present time**

Harry remembered those times fondly; the field trips to the forests, learning about the histories and folklore; the trips to the beach for some sun, sand, surf as well as collection of shells, sea glass and other bits and pieces that would be experimented on. He collected everything and anything no matter how gross it seemed. The only thing that was forbidden was the killing of a creature for the sole purpose of harvesting one ingredient. If he could find a supplier that did the harvesting for him and the price was at a reasonable level, they'd still discuss it. He glanced once more at the binders on his bookshelves filled to capacity with all of his notes on the various experimentations to get a wand to work properly. Some were considered successes only when they didn't explode or shatter on him. Unfortunately, there were many that fit that didn't fit that category. Who knew in those early days that certain cores and wood, like hemlock and unicorn hair, didn't like each other to such an extent that they react violently?

' _That's the fun of learning, I guess.'_ He mused later in his ever present journal.

Core materials that were strictly magical were purchased using Miss Honeybloom as an intermediary. Petunia had put her foot down on not letting Harry into the magical world too early so as to not let word reach the wrong ears. There were other sources that yielded some interesting materials for wands. He took part in a couple of children learning programs at the zoo and the London Aquarium. Miss Honeybloom had given him a list of names for squibs and other muggleborns that worked with the zoo and aquarium she considered to be safe to talk to about what he was really trying to accomplish. His particular favorite time at the zoo was learning about the otters and watching them gambol and play around. He even got to pet one! Their fur was so soft and fluffy and that's why they were able to float really well. At the end of the programs, the vetted keepers and aquarists would sometimes slip him a package containing samples of the bones, skin, scales, teeth and fur from the animals he'd learned about for his own research.

He glanced up from his carving when he started hearing the sounds of his relatives getting up so he cleaned up his workstation and packed away his carving kit back into his trunk. Everything was ready and so was he.

* * *

**King's Cross Station near Platform 9, 10:00am**

The Grangers arrived at the Dursley's house a little past eight in the morning and shared a quick meal of toast and hardboiled eggs. They then drove together down to the train station. Hermione found a pair of trolleys after they parked and dragged them back to the cars. Dudley helped Harry drag his trunk onto the cart and handed him Hedwig's cage (they'd already sent her up that morning after some thought that it wouldn't be fair to the bird to be cooped up inside for so long.)

Petunia stood there watching for a moment before stopping the boys, "Harry, leave her cage. There's no need for it up at the school and it'd just take up unnecessary space." Harry agreed and handed it back to Vernon, who shrugged and shoved it in the boot.

Vernon locked up the car and took hold of Harry's bicycle, "We all ready to go now?"

The group made their way from the short stay lot, conveniently located next to their platform, and paid the parking fare. After getting onto Platform nine, they looked all over for the marker that indicated where the magical entrance was. According to Professor McGonagall, the floor in front of the portal was a slightly darker color and had the imprint of the Hogwarts crest embedded in the central stone.

"Hey! I found it!" Dudley yelled and waved his hand; he looked closer at the barely visible crest.

Vernon grumbled at how crazy it was to have to hide the platform within one of the busiest stations when they could've just built their own somewhere else on the property, Dan agreed with him while Emma smirked at the 'poor boys' who were doing on the all the heavy pushing.

"Dudley? Does the portal work for you?" Petunia asked him. Dudley put his hands on the pillar and pushed but to no avail. He turned back and shook his head.

* * *

Because the adults and Dudley were unable to pass through, Harry and Hermione were urged to take their stuff through and find a compartment then come back. Nervously, Harry pushed his trolley through the portal and emerged onto the legendary Platform 9 ¾. The scarlet colored locomotive sat quietly steaming in the bay, a string of similarly colored passenger cars behind it. Hermione approached one of the uniformed adults and asked if there was a baggage car for them to leave their trunks and bicycles. The conductor smiled pleasantly and offered to load it for them.

Once their stuff was secured and tagged, the two kids hurried back out to their families.

Nearly an hour later, it was the mothers' turn to be making a scene within their group. Both Petunia and Emma were all tears on how their babies were growing up and going off to school so far away. Vernon shook Harry's hand and wished him well and to stay out of trouble.

"I don't care if that headmaster of yours says that it's your destiny or some other nonsense. If it seems dangerous or illegal, get out of there and contact the magical police."

Harry stood resolute, "Yes, Uncle Vernon. I'll make you and Aunt Petunia proud of me." He was then dragged away and given yet another tearful hug by his aunt. He gave Dudley a pat on the back and a promise to write before he and Hermione pushed through the portal one more time.

* * *

**Hogwarts Express on its way North**

The door to their compartment opened up rather suddenly and caused Hermione to growl at their latest interruption. It seemed that everyone and their uncle were finding any excuse to stop by and stare at Harry, much to his annoyance. This time it was a red haired boy with freckles across his face and a dirty smudge on his nose.

"Oi, you mind if I sit here? Everywhere else is full," he asked as he sat down without even being given permission.

"I hardly doubt that given that this is a magical train. I bet that there are plenty of spaces elsewhere for you to sit," Harry growled at the rude boy.

The red-haired kid just stared at Harry with a blank look plastered on his face before he just shrugged it off and dug into his pocket.

"Did you not understand what Harry just said?" Hermione said, glaring at the rude boy.

"Yeah, but I'm here now so what's the problem?" he grunted, "You could leave if you don't like it, you know. Me and Harry are going to be in the same House anyways."

Harry shared a bemused glance with Hermione and slowly shook his head, "Yeah? Which House?"

The kid puffed up his chest in a pale imitation of bravery, "Gryffindor House, where the Brave at heart truly dwell!"

"Right, in that case when we get to the school, I'll be sure to ask to be sorted somewhere else. Get lost." He pointed a finger towards the door.

"Bu, but… Harry!"

"Look it, I don't know you and I don't care. You just insulted my best friend and you're annoying me. Get lost!"

"W, well my name's Ron Weasley…"

"Still don't care. Last chance to get out before I have you thrown out." Ron remained seated, his mouth dumbly hanging open.

Harry gave the kid one more glare before sticking his head out the compartment door. He spotted an older student wearing a badge with a large letter 'P' on it and called him over.

"You're one of the prefects?" The older student nodded, "Good. Deal with this idiot. He seems to think that just because I'm Harry Potter, I'm going to put up with his rudeness and bad manners."

The prefect paled, started apologizing profusely and grabbed a hold of Ron and hauled him out.

Hermione closed the door and plopped down next to him, "Imagine being in the same House as that kid for the next seven years!" She shuddered at the thought. Harry grinned and patted her mock-consolingly on her hand.

* * *

Next up in the rotation for 'let's interrupt Harry's quiet time' was a sandy-haired boy in search of his lost toad.

"I had him in my pocket a little while ago and now I can't find him," the boy sniffled.

Hermione took pity on the boy since he was polite enough to knock before entering, "I'll help you look for it. My name's Hermione, what's yours?"

"Neville Longbottom."

Harry waved and introduced himself as well. Neville's eyes grew wide and made the now expected slide to Harry's forehead then realized how rude it made him seem.

"I, I'm sorry. That was rude of me to stare at your scar. My Gran would kill me if she found out I was being improper."

"Don't worry, Neville. At least you are being polite about it. We just had some kid named Ron Weasley be thoroughly rude to both Hermione and I. Idiot didn't even knock, just came in mumbled something about not finding an empty compartment and sat down."

"Did this boy have freckles on his face and bright red hair?" Harry nodded which cause Neville to grimace, "Yeah, that would be Ronald Weasley alright. He's the youngest son of five older brothers and one younger sister. Bad attitude and from what I heard, a total lack of table manners as well."

* * *

Neville and Hermione went in search of the wayward toad and found it in the boys' loo not ten minutes later. They rejoined Harry and settled in to talk about their pasts. Neville, it turned out was the only child of two Auror parents (Harry later learned that the Aurors were an elite magical police team) that were attacked and incapacitated five days after Harry had lost his parents. He had a love of all things floral and hoped to be sorted somewhere to make his parents proud of him.

"I'll probably end up in Hufflepuff though. I don't think I'm very brave and I definitely don't have the smarts to get into Ravenclaw. I wouldn't go into Slytherin even if my life depended on it; that whole House is full of children of Death Eaters and other Dark families."

"Well, I for one, hope I get sorted into Hufflepuff," Hermione piped up, "They seem to be the ones that are the most relaxed and combine the traits found in the other three Houses."

Harry grinned as he passed on this next tidbit of information, "Plus, Neville, I've heard that the Head of House and Herbology professor are one and the same person, Pomona Sprout. Imagine having near 24/7 access to her knowledge, the greenhouses and from what I heard she likes to bring in plants she's found during her summer travels to the common room and give impromptu lectures on them."

Neville's jaw was practically scraping the floor when he heard that. His eyes went sort of dreamy and glazed over before he shivered and straightened himself back up, "Well, then maybe I ought to shoot for Hufflepuff too!" Both Harry and Hermione laughed at his reaction.

There was a brief pause in the conversation before Neville turned to Hermione, "So what about you? What do you like to do? Any hobbies and that sort?" Harry grinned in anticipation of her answer.

Hermione gave Harry a sideways sneer and primly returned to face Neville, "I love to read and learn new things. I also like riding my bicycle around our neighborhood and to the local shopping center and I've been getting involved with runes and integrating them into new games and modifying old ones. Harry and I met when my family and I moved to Surrey about three years ago and I'll always be grateful for him and his family for helping us get used to the idea of magic before I even got my Letter and the visit from the Deputy Headmistress." Harry mugged for the attention and beamed a wide smile at her and she just playfully shoved him back. "He can be a bit of a dork but Harry's my best friend and I wouldn't have it any other way."

"She's also what my Aunt Petunia called, 'Delightfully Nerdy.'" Harry interjected causing Hermione to roll her eyes and snort at the memory that popped up in association to that title.

"What he means is that I get deep into character when researching things for my games and puzzles."

Neville chuckled at that and relaxed into his seat, "What about you, Harry? Rumor has it that you've traveled the world and been solving mysteries and crimes all over the place." Harry tilted his head and gave him a mildly confused look which caused the other boy to laugh, "I know, totally stupid especially after Hermione here just described what life is like in your neighborhood. I knew that those stories were just that, stories to entertain." Harry too, rolled his eyes in disbelief that anyone could believe that those fanciful tales were real.

"Well, my life has not been that fairytale that everyone seems to believe in so much. I grew up in Little Whinging, Surrey on the outskirts of London. I attended a muggle primary school where I was doubly fortunate to have two important females come into my life. One of course, is Hermione; the other was my teacher, Miss Honeybloom. It turned out that she's a witch! She taught us everything we know about the magical world and helped me greatly in getting started with my favorite hobby."

"Oh? Which hobby is that?"

Harry pulled out his canary wood wand and held it up, "I make my own wands. I made mine and Hermione's. Each one is unique and totally fitted to ourselves. I've been making, or at least experimenting in making them since I was eight years old. Miss Honeybloom helped me write to other wand crafters around the world as long as they promised to keep the knowledge about me a secret. I can count Mr. Ollivander as one of my pen pals. He's a great source of magical information on everything that goes into making a wand. I did get help from some muggle companies but I told them I was getting into just regular wood carving."

"Wow, that's a rare skill to have at your age, Harry." Neville exclaimed to which Harry nodded happily.

* * *

Just as Neville was about to ask another question, the door burst open and three boys walked imperiously into the compartment. The one that seemed to be the leader of this trio rove his eyes disdainfully over the seated kids and sniffed snootily.

"I've heard that Harry Potter was in this compartment. I recognize you, Squib Longbottom; how anyone could believe that you're worthy to go to the school is beyond me. I don't recognize you girl, you must be one of those outsiders who think they have the right to intrude into our world. You'll find out, Potter that there are some who just don't belong. I can help you find the _right sort._ "

Harry leant back in his seat, his eyes hooded and sparking with dangerous energy. He gave a slow clap in derision, "Wow, I'm impressed. You managed to insult me and my friends all in one breath. Here I thought that Weasley kid was rude but you just took it to a whole new level. What makes you think that I would want to help me find the 'right sort' as you say when I can clearly find them on my own? Perhaps, I should write a letter to your head of house and tell him of the rude and insulting introduction his heir gave me in the presence of my friends? I wonder how he'd react to that bit of information?" The boy paled even more than he already was and took on a bit of a greenish hue.

"Uh…um, then, um… I think we'll just, just go then." The pale boy quickly pushed past the other two and disappeared down the aisle. The larger of the two boys left behind turned back to Harry and shook his head sadly.

"I'm sorry that Draco was so rude to you, Mr. Potter," he held his hand out, "My name is Vincent Crabbe and this is my friend, Gregory Goyle. I knew that Draco was going to pull some sort of grand play and try to be like his father but that surprised even me."

Harry stood up and shook both of the boys' hands and invited them to join in the conversation, "I won't hold his actions against you two. You at least have some manners. So… we were just going over our lives prior to getting on the train…" He then proceeded to fill in the new occupants.

"So where did you learn how to respond like that, Harry?" Neville asked as Vince and Greg, as they'd asked to be referred to, settled onto the seats.

Harry huffed, "Found an old etiquette book that had gotten miss-sorted in Beeman's Books. Incidentally, if you're in Diagon Alley and don't want to go through the Leaky Cauldron to go out into the muggle world, go through the back in Flourish and Blotts. Beeman's Books is the muggle face of shared business."

Greg looked interested, "Really? What's the muggle world like?"

Both Harry and Hermione smiled as they filled in their new friends to the wonders of the muggle world seen through the eyes of eleven year olds.

* * *

When the Honeydukes Express arrived, all the kids were famished. Harry did want to try out some of the magical treats but changed his mind when he spotted the sandwiches.

"I'm surprised at you, Harry," Hermione commented later, "I would've figured you'd have gone straight to the sweets."

He shrugged a shoulder indifferently, "I'm already a nervous wreck without the sugar. I don't want to add to it. Besides, I overheard a couple of the older kids as they were passing by that they couldn't wait for the feast. I'll bet a new wand made from my most expensive stock that there'd be all sorts of sweets and desserts."

"Ha! I'm not taking that bet," Hermione giggled and leaned into his side.

* * *

**Hogwarts Castle**

The train unloaded its passengers at the quaint little platform for the purely magical town called 'Hogsmeade.' The brisk air had a bit of a chill to it and the earthy scent from the nearby forest. All the first year kids were gathered up and led down to the lake by Hagrid. He had boomed out in a loud voice, "First years! All First year students over here! That's it, don't be shy! Don't worry about your belongings, they'll be taken up to the castle later." The big man then led his charges down a narrow and dimly lit path to where a small flotilla of boats awaited them.

After seeing the castle all lit up with lights, shining like a beacon of learning, they arrived at a tiny boat dock and were led up a long flight of stairs to a huge wooden door. Hagrid banged on the door with a huge fist; they were greeted by none other than Professor McGonagall. She thanked Hagrid for delivering the children and led them inside. After a short speech about the Houses, some of the rules they were expected to follow, they were told to wait quietly while she checked on the progress in the Great Hall.

Hermione was getting nervous; bouncing up and down on her toes and muttering to herself under her breath. Harry reached over and wrapped her up in his arms and promised her that no matter where she ended up, they'd always be friends and that he'd try as hard as he could to be in the same House. Professor McGonagall returned and had everyone line up then led them into the Great Hall.

* * *

After lining up in front of the High Table, where a stool and a raggedy looking wizard's hat sat, the assembly listened as the brim of the hat opened up into a parody of a mouth and began to sing a doggerel tale of the attributes of the Founders and what they would look for in a prospective student.

_"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,_ _  
_ _But don't judge on what you see,_ _  
_ _I'll eat myself if you can find_ _  
_ _A smarter hat than me._ _  
_ _You can keep your bowlers black,_ _  
_ _Your top hats sleek and tall,_ _  
_ _For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_ _  
_ _And I can cap them all._ _  
_ _There's nothing hidden in your head_ _  
_ _The Sorting Hat can't see,_ _  
_ _So try me on and I will tell you_ _  
_ _Where you ought to be._ _  
_ _You might belong in Gryffindor,_ _  
_ _Where dwell the brave at heart,_ _  
_ _Their daring, nerve and chivalry_ _  
_ _Set Gryffindors apart;_ _  
_ _You might belong in Hufflepuff,_ _  
_ _Where they are just and loyal,_ _  
_ _Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_ _  
_ _And unafraid of toil;_ _  
_ _Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_ _  
_ _If you've a ready mind,_ _  
_ _Where those of wit and learning,_ _  
_ _Will always find their kind;_ _  
_ _Or perhaps in Slytherin_ _  
_ _You'll make your real friends,_ _  
_ _Those cunning folk use any means_ _  
_ _To achieve their ends._ _  
_ _So put me on! Don't be afraid!_ _  
_ _And don't get in a flap!_ _  
_ _You're in safe hands (though I have none)_ _  
_ _For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

_(excerpt from Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone)_

Hermione's eyes were shining in undisguised curiosity at how the hat was enchanted to work. Harry too, was curious but soon turned his attention to where the other first years were getting sorted to.

"Abbott, Hannah!" (Hufflepuff)

"Bones, Susan!" (Hufflepuff)

' _Looks like we'll be sorted alphabetically,'_ Harry mused, _'Great, that'll mean that I'll find out which House Hermione will go into and I'll try to convince the hat to put me there too.'_

"Granger, Hermione!"

She ran up to the stool and jammed the hat down on her head. A few minutes ticked by and still there was no announcement. Finally, the hat let out a sort of aggrieved sigh and called out, "Hufflepuff!"

Harry cheered the loudest as his best friend made her way over to the table where those wearing yellow and black were sitting. She turned her attention back to him and gave him a look that practically screamed, "You better get sorted here!" He waved at her and grinned happily.

Neville's turn was up and he nearly stumbled as he climbed up the step and sat down on the stool. The hat was placed upon his head and again, it took several minutes before the hat called out, "Gryffindor!" Neville had a brief disappointed look on his face but he ran over to where the red and gold were sitting. In his haste, he forgot to take the hat off so amidst the gales of laughter from everyone else in the room, he quickly got up and handed it back to Professor McGonagall.

' _Huh, well that's a shame that Neville didn't get sorted to Hufflepuff but it's not like he'd be kicked out of the school for not ending up_ somewhere.' Harry thought as he kept an ear open for his own name.

"Potter, Harry!"

As he made his way up to the stool he heard the whispers coming from those around him.

" _Did she just say Harry Potter?"_

" _Thought he was taller than that?"_

" _Wow, Harry Potter! I bet you he'll be in Gryffindor."_

He took his spot on the stool and the hat was lowered onto his head. He 'felt' the hat rummaging around in his mind and 'heard' it speak in his ear, "Right, right… Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, Oh my goodness, yes - and a nice thirst to prove yourself; now that's interesting... So where shall I put you?" (Hat's comments taken from HP&PS, Book one)

"Will you take my opinion into consideration?"

" _Of course, my dear boy. I need all the available information to make the proper selection."_

"Then I'd like to go into Hufflepuff. I want to be in the same House as my best friend, Hermione. We both feel that Hufflepuffs have the same qualities that are found in the other three Houses yet allow us to make friends and share in our experiences as equals."

" _Hmmm… Very well reasoned. For that kind of logic, I could sort you to Ravenclaw but I do see what you're saying. Ok then, Mr. Potter; I shall sort you where you wish to go. I must also point out that the Headmaster has indicated strongly to me that he wishes you to be sorted into Gryffindor but I can see here that while you'd do well there, it would not be a good fit. Be wary around him, he has too many plots and plans that unfortunately involve you in some fashion or another."_

"Hufflepuff!" The room erupted into chaos as the House of the Badger started screaming their joy and happiness that "We've got Potter! We've got Potter!" The Gryffindors (as well as the headmaster) looked stunned at the news.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hogwarts Castle, The next morning after the Welcoming Feast**

Harry got up and started going through his morning routine. Once that was done he walked into the Hufflepuff Common Room and let his eyes wander about. During last night's frenzy of activities, he'd hardly gotten the opportunity to really check out the place.

The room was set up so that it resembled a badger's burrow if such a thing were possible. Earthy tones, colors and light swirled about in a warm and relaxing manner. There were a couple of tiers with chairs, tables and a couple of soft and squishy sofas by the looks of them. Perfect to quietly observe the goings on in the Sett. Everywhere that Harry looked or touched, it was a feast for the senses. The walls had smooth and rough sections depending on the feature it was closest to. If there was a stairway, the texture of the walls became rougher; ostensibly to warn someone that to be careful. There was a large glass window that looked out over the grassy meadow towards the gates. There were hanging planters and portraits that lined the walls. The room smelled of freshly turned soil, lots of oxygen (probably from all the plants) and the scent of freshly made coffee.

Harry opened a few doors along one wall and when he peeked in, saw that they were just a couple of ordinary storage rooms. The last door though opened to a richly decorated hallway that portrayed the achievements of prior Hufflepuff standouts. The hallway ended at another treasure, the most spectacular and inviting room of all; it was a sunroom conservatory that wouldn't have looked out of place from the 1920s. It was framed by sweeping wrought iron with the morning light streaming in through lots of plate glass accentuated every now and then by a scene done in stained glass. Chairs and tables were artfully scattered throughout to provide a comfortable yet secluded space to sit and chat. There were potted plants and even a fountain that could be heard tinkling in the background somewhere.

"Harry?" He turned at the sound of his name being called then smiled when he spotted Hermione peeking in. Her eyes widening for every sight she took in, "Wow!"

"Right? I've never known that Hogwarts had such a place. It's not in the history books that I can recall." She shook her head in agreement. While she wandered around, Harry sat down in the nearest available chair. A slight crack was heard and a tiny creature with tennis ball sized eyes and bat-like ears wearing what looked like a gold and black checkered pillowcase popped in.

"Would young miss and sir care for a morning cup of tea?"

Both Harry and Hermione stared agog at the little creature, "Um, Hello. Wha, who are you?"

The creature curtseyed before them, "I is being Cinnamon. Cinnamon is the Hufflepuff Sunroom Elf."

Hermione cocked her head in puzzlement, "But what is an elf?"

"Muggleborn?" At their nods, Cinnamon got a look of understanding, "Elves are small beings that serve wizards and witches in exchange for a sampling of their magics. We is needing magic to live and wizards be needing help in day to day lives."

Harry pondered this, "So, what you're saying is that you're a kind of servant then?" Cinnamon gleefully nodded, her bat-like ears flapping.

"Exactly, young sir!"

Hermione scrunched her face up, "I hope that you're paid well enough to handle all these students."

Cinnamon looked back in a manner akin to horror and a bit of disgust, "We is _not_ getting paid! We is good elves." She let go of an all-body shiver of dread.

Hermione and Harry glanced at each other then back to the elf, "You mean that you're doing all this work for free?"

The light of dawning understanding lit in Cinnamon's eyes, "Ah, Cinnamon sees what young sir and miss is being confused on. We elves is not getting paid in Galleons. We is getting 'paid' in magic. It is different. If we is being paid in Galleons, it damages our bond. We elves absorb magic like plants absorb light to live. We is not being greedy though, we is only taking that which we need to live in exchange for work to the wizards."

Harry let out a sound of understanding, Hermione a moment later.

"Thank you for helping us understand, Cinnamon. We won't be staying very long; breakfast should be getting served soon." Cinnamon curtseyed and popped out.

* * *

_**Great Hall…** _

When the Puff first years were led into the Great Hall by a prefect, Hermione spotted that Neville had already arrived and was sitting alone at the Gryffindor table. She grabbed Harry's arm and dragged the boy over to their friend.

"Morning, Neville. Did you sleep well last night?"

Neville blearily blinked up at them, desperately holding onto a coffee mug as if it were a lifeline and shook his head, "No…" he moaned, "Last night was terrible. I have to room with Ron Weasley and that kid snores like you wouldn't believe. I thought the walls would come tumbling down!"

Harry commiserated with his sleepy friend, "Well then, I know just the thing to perk you right up. How about after breakfast, the three of us go exploring? I bet the greenhouses aren't too far away and after that, we can show you around the Puff Sunroom."

That definitely perked up the plant-loving boy, "You have a sunroom?"

Hermione took over as Harry started eating his breakfast, "Yes, it's the most beautiful room that I've seen so far; even better than here at night. So, I've wanted to ask but what happened last night at the sorting? I thought you were going to try and push for Hufflepuff?"

Neville grunted, "I was trying my best to convince the hat to put me there but it told me that I had a role to perform and that it would take all of my bravery to see it through. I must have hesitated too long because it put me into my house before I could argue again."

"Could you ask for a re-sort?"

Neville shrugged, "No idea. I could ask though I don't know which teacher I should approach."

Harry piped up then, "How about your Head of House? She's also the Deputy Headmistress, right?" Neville bobbed his head in noncommittal agreement, "How about this; we take you to the Hufflepuff Common Room, let you look around. Talk to a few people, get their measure and if it's still seems to be the right match; go see the Deputy Head and request a re-sort."

* * *

Just as Hermione was about to dig into her breakfast, she caught sight of the caretaker Argus Filch enter the Great Hall. Something about the man tickled her memory and she cocked her head in thought. Harry nudged her shoulder when he realized that she'd stopped eating in mid-bite.

"You okay? You look troubled."

She shook herself out of her introspection, "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

Harry gazed into her eyes, a tad worried now, "I asked if you were okay. You got this spaced out sort of look."

With a jut of her chin she pointed out the caretaker, "Does he remind you of someone?"

Harry observed the older man and slowly shook his head, "Now that you mention it…" He turned back to her with his eyes widening, "You don't suppose?"

With a grin of anticipation she replied as she got to her feet, "Only one way to find out."

* * *

"Excuse me? Mr. Filch?"

Argus Filch turned his tired eyes downward to see an eager first year girl practically vibrating with nervous energy, "What is it, girl? I'm trying to eat my breakfast in peace."

"Our Destiny is in the stars, so let's go and search for it," Hermione boldly stated with just a hint of a tremor in her voice.

Argus paused lifting his teacup before slowly settling it back down, "One day I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back…"

The two then finished the quote together, "…Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine."

"Dear god, it _is_ you!" Hermione slapped her hands over her mouth and excitedly whispered, "You're a wizard?"

Argus cleared his throat distractedly and glanced around before returning to the girl in front of him, "I'm no wizard, my dear. I'm a Squib."

She looked puzzled before her memory caught up to her then she looked embarrassed, "I'm sorry, sir but still! You're _the Doctor!_ " He smirked at her excitement and tipped his head to her.

"I think I'm going to faint, I get to go to school with William Hartnell himself!"

Argus waved that off, "Nice of you to say that, my dear but my name is Argus Filch. William Hartnell is a pseudonym I used when I was working as an actor in my younger days. What's your name?"

"Hermione Granger. I'm in Hufflepuff and I'm a huge Doctor Who fan. I even modified my wand to look like the sonic screwdriver." She pulled out her wand and handed it over. Argus examined the casing and the real wand within and pronounced it a good likeness before returning it to its owner.

Hermione thanked him profusely and practically floated back to Harry, her eyes alight at the experience of meeting her idol. Harry caught Argus' eye and flashed the older man two thumbs up.

* * *

_**Back in the Sett…** _

Harry was right. Hufflepuff House was everything Neville had dreamed of for the perfect place to get sorted into. The whole place felt like it was alive! Every nook and cranny had some sort of treasure squirreled away and yet nothing and no one made him feel like an outsider. If anything, it all made him feel like he'd just stepped into his bedroom back home.

With eyes agog at the initial sight of the conservatory, Neville declared in no uncertain terms that he _had_ to get re-sorted or he'd go bananas! Both Harry and Hermione started laughing at their friend's hilarious antics as he wandered around the conservatory and examined all the plants.

"You like?" Harry asked him from where he was sitting on a sofa bordered by a soft array of ferns.

"I'm in _love…"_

"I'm pleased to hear that, Mr. Longbottom," came the reply from the Head of Hufflepuff, Pomona Sprout as she entered the room followed closely by Hermione, "To answer your unasked question, I was informed by the portrait guardian that someone not of this house had followed two of our own in. Miss Granger here was just informing me of the situation. So… A re-sort, eh? Very unusual but not totally unheard of."

Neville spread his arms wide open and gestured to everything around them, "I have a greenhouse and conservatory back home. I can easily identify nearly all the plants within this room. The hat could see that I love working with plants and yet it still stuck me in with the Gryffindors despite the fact that I don't have _anything_ in common with them. I prefer the peace and quiet of working with plants. Gryffindor house is too noisy and frankly, the Weasley Twins terrify me." He went on to explain what it was that the hat had said about him doing well in Gryffindor.

"I don't want that. I just want to become a good wizard, not an adventurer. Please, professor. There must be some way to get a re-sort."

Pomona could see the heartfelt plea that was shimmering in Neville's eyes and nodded, "I'll speak with the Deputy Headmistress. If there's a way then we'll go see the Headmaster. I must warn you though, if the Headmaster says that you are to stay where you are then there's nothing I can do to overrule him."

Neville beamed in hope and happiness.

* * *

_**Two days later…** _

Unsurprisingly, Albus Dumbledore denied Neville's request to get a re-sort. He waffled about how it was in the boy's best interest to accept his place and prepare for the destiny that the hat foresaw. Pomona and Minerva glanced at each other before the latter did something unprecedented in recent memory. She overrode Albus' decision and called for a re-sort. She placed the hat on her own head to explain what was going to happen only for her face to slide towards great anger.

"Albus!" she growled menacingly, "The hat informs me that you and he had a consultation before the sorting and you were pushing to have Mr. Longbottom _and_ Mr. Potter sorted into Gryffindor!"

That got both womens' backs up! How _dare_ the old man manipulate the Sorting Hat! The implications and ramifications were enormous if word got out.

"That's it! I can't believe that you would try to override the decision process of the Sorting Hat. Centuries of tradition and you just stomp all over that for some idiotic reasoning, no doubt! I'm overriding your decision and warning you now that should you fight me on this, I _will_ go to the DMLE and press charges. There's no excuse for this, none at all!" Minerva raged.

Albus let her rant and rave; his visage was one of a grandfather letting a bratty child get their emotions out of their system. What he didn't quite realize was his lack of response was only egging her on.

Pomona slapped her hand on the desk effectively silencing her friend. She huffed and turned to face the headmaster with a calculating look, "Headmaster, you're being awfully quiet. The last time you were this quiet was back before the Potters went into hiding."

Albus shifted uncomfortably, ' _Damn her memory. I keep forgetting that she's not a pushover like so many others of her House.'_

"Well, Albus? What possible reason do you have for manipulating the hat?"

Albus cleared his throat and spread his hands in supplication, "What I do is for the Greater Good. There are plans at work that need to be adhered to make sure that the outcome is in our favor."

Pomona shook her head in derision, "Headmaster, this is not the Wizengamot where you can give a non-answer and placate the masses. We know you too well to allow for that kind of nonsense. Tell us the truth or we'll just go over your head to the Board of Directors and the DMLE. I'm sure that Director Bones would be overjoyed to investigate this matter. In close. Excruciating. Detail."

The threat of bringing in the legendary Amelia Bones was credible enough to make Albus pale and start to sweat. The Director had a reputation of being a no nonsense sort of investigator who refused to fall for the pretty words uttered by those in power.

"Well, um. I guess we could allow the hat to see if Mr. Longbottom could indeed be re-sorted…" his face looked like he was sucking on a particularly tart lemon as he blustered on.

* * *

_**That evening before dinner…** _

In front of the entire school, Neville Longbottom was once again sat down on the stool and the sorting hat placed upon his head. After a couple of minutes, the hat yelled out, "Hufflepuff!" Neville's clothes colors changed from red and gold to yellow and black and new house cheered for the late addition. No one was cheering louder than that of Harry and Hermione. They welcomed their friend to his new house with open arms.

* * *

**Potions Classroom, Dungeons**

When the Puff first years entered the Potions classroom for the first time, Harry urged everyone to take their seats quickly and pull out what they needed to take notes along with their textbooks.

"I remember reading from a journal my mother wrote describing Professor Snape's temperament. She wrote that he didn't suffer fools lightly and that if he were a teacher, he'd demand excellence from even the rankest beginner."

"I completely agree with that, Mr. Potter," a droll sounding voice tinged with a hint of menace interjected, "Nor do I suffer fools who think it wise to speak in my class without being given leave to do so. If you had wanted to inform the class of my methods then you should've done so before stepping foot within. One point from Hufflepuff."

Harry blushed in embarrassment, "My apologies, professor." He quickly took his seat and pulled out his stuff.

Professor Snape gave a brief lecture on what was to be expected in his class then began to take the roll. When he got to Harry's name, he sneered and thought that he would see if the spawn of Potter would be just as unworthy as his father.

"Mr. Potter. Our new…celebrity. Tell me what I would get if I added the powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood."

Harry thought for a moment before shaking his head, "I'm not sure sir, as it wasn't in the first year texts, though if I were to hazard a guess it would be some form of sleeping aid. I wonder though if it might not be more beneficial to use agrimony?"

That stunned Severus to an absolute standstill. He peered closer at the boy in hopes that he'd merely made a mistake in his answer but the boy held resolute. Severus released the breath he didn't even realized he'd taken.

"That…That would be correct, Mr. Potter. Asphodel and wormwood would make a sleeping potion known as the Draught of Living Death. Agrimony is not a part of the recipe but is good to keep on hand. Thank you."

Flustered, Professor Snape had everyone open their recipe books to the first potion and told them to get started on making a Boil-Cure Paste.

Harry had gotten paired up with Neville and already it was apparent that this was a good thing. Neville had a case of nerves in the presence of a dominant adult, the feeling of which the professor was emanating in spades. The dour professor hovered over their workstation and nearly succeeded in getting Neville to make a mistake. Harry's hand struck out in a flash and prevented Neville from adding in the crushed snake fangs to the cauldron.

"Reread the instructions again, Neville. You were about to cause an accident." Neville took another look then blanched. If he had added the snake fangs without taking the cauldron off the heat, it would've caused the potion to react violently.

Severus just nodded his approval silently then moved onto his next victim.

* * *

_**After class…** _

"How did you know about the agrimony thing, Harry?" Neville inquired as they exited the laboratory and headed onto Charms.

"I once read a book on the Victorian Language of Flowers during my research into wand core materials. Asphodel is a type of lily which means, 'My regrets follow you to the grave.' Wormwood means, 'absence' and also typically symbolized bitter sorrow. Together it means, 'I bitterly regret Lily's death.'"

Neville slowly nodded his head in understanding, "And Lily was your mother's name. So what about the agrimony?"

"Well there are two ways to respond to what Professor Snape had offered. One is with agrimony which means, 'thankfulness or gratitude.' The other is yellow carnation which means, 'rejection, disdain, disappointment.'"

"So that's why he seemed so flustered is because you not only knew what he was trying to say but responded in a way that he wasn't expecting. Neat, I think I need to brush up on that topic too. My Gran did tutor me on it once but it never really stuck." Neville pondered this as they continued down the hallway.

* * *

In Charms class, Neville once again proved to be in need of Harry's attention. Try as the sandy-haired boy might, he just couldn't get much of a response from his wand. They were working on the _Lumos_ charm and while nearly everyone else could get a steady bright light to shine from the tip of their wands, Neville was barely able to get it to dully glow.

When they finally broke for lunch, Harry pulled Neville aside while Hermione said that she'd meet them in the Hall and ran off to catch up with Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott.

"Nev? May I see that wand of yours? It doesn't seem to be working well for you."

Neville scrunched his face up in embarrassment, "Here, it belonged to my father. Gran said that if I used it I might be able to become the strong wizard he was."

Harry took the wand and began his examination, murmuring under his breath, "Ash…not good for transference. Unicorn hair… prone to melancholy if mishandled… Decent condition…" He glanced back up to the other boy who was forlornly looking back and forth between Harry and the wand.

"So, I'm not a great wizard, am I Harry? I knew it."

Harry slowly shook his head as he disagreed, "It's not that you're not a great wizard, Nev. It's that your grandmother knows nothing on how a wand of ash reacts to being transferred to another wizard. Ash will cleave to one master and ought not to be passed on or gifted to another because it will lose power and skill. Did Mr. Ollivander not tell you and your Gran this when you went in?"

Neville looked perplexed, "No, we never went in. Gran handed me that wand the day before we got on the train to come here. Said it belonged to my father and worked well for him and therefore should do just fine for me if I strove hard enough to be like him."

Harry groaned and flopped back against the wall, "That was probably the worst advice I've ever heard about the transference of a wand! Okay, here's your options. One, you can write to Mr. Ollivander and explain the problem. He'll probably tell you to have Professor Sprout take you to his shop to buy a proper match. The other option is to let me make your wand. Keep in mind that I'm nowhere near a master in the craft but I've made my own and Hermione's wand and so far they've been working out beautifully. Even if you do go with option two, I'd recommend seeing Mr. Ollivander just so he can go over the finished wand and make sure that there's nothing wrong."

Neville pondered this for a moment, "How much would it cost me to go through you? I assume that yours is custom work?" Harry nodded.

"It would depend on the wood, core and if you needed any other sort of add-ons like shell, gemstone and the like."

With that in mind, the two boys headed off to lunch.

* * *

During lunch, Harry was once again reminded that certain people must be lacking in the memory department. In the short time that they'd been in school, Ronald Weasley was quickly becoming his bane. Even Draco Malfoy learned relatively quickly that he didn't want anything to do with the blonde-haired ponce until the Slytherin Prince wannabe learned how to introduce himself in a pleasant and dignified manner without insulting Harry's friends.

Ronald, on the other hand, had all the sensitivity of a rampaging troll and the eating habits of a pig. Once again, the red-haired idiot tried to muscle his way into a conversation Harry was having with Neville about their Transfiguration homework assignment given by McGonagall.

"Move it, Longbottom. Harry doesn't need you to infect him with your Squib ways." Neville looked hurt at the cruel words while Hermione gasped in shock at the rude words.

Harry speared him with one glare before standing up and stating loudly, "Will the elder Weasleys please deal with this idiot before I inform their Head of House for this brat's lack of etiquette?"

The Twins raced over, grabbed Ron under his arms and dragged the git away, bowing and apologizing for their dimwitted brother's behavior.

Harry sat back down and grumbled about rude idiots in general before shaking it off and resuming his conversation with Neville.

* * *

_**Later that evening…** _

"Hey, Harry? You got a minute?" Harry glanced up from his reading and spotted Neville shifting uncomfortably in front of him.

"Sure, Nev. What's on your mind?" He gestured to the seat next to him. Neville gratefully sank onto the cushion.

"I…want you to make my wand for me. I spoke to Hermione who had nothing but a glowing review of your skill and craftsmanship. I have about 12 Galleons on me and I can get more if need be."

Harry slowly closed the book he was reading and tilted his head as he examined the nervous boy, "Okay, Nev. Relax, I can make your wand. Let's go back to our dorm and we'll see what we can come up with."

Neville was amazed by the amount of materials and tools that Harry had brought along with him yet wasn't surprised to learn that the messy-haired boy had more at home. Harry moved with a surety that spoke of several years of apprenticing under the greatest wand crafters in the world.

"So, who did you apprentice under?"

Harry's head popped up from where he was rooting around in his crafting trunk, "Hmm? Oh, I've not apprenticed formally with anyone. I just wrote some letters back and forth to crafters like Ollivander, Perez in Colombia, Bennett in America. Aha, here it is. I knew I packed this batch of unicorn hair! Okay, wand arm is which again?"

"Right hand."

"Okay, let's see. Your primary talent lays with working the land therefore that rules out these rarer woods… hmm. Maybe, eh let's try it. Here, hold this and tell me if it feels warm to your touch."

Neville hesitantly glanced at the wood blank in Harry's outstretched hand, "What kind of wood is it?"

"Chestnut. It's the wood of choice for those skilled in the taming of magical beasts, those who possess great gifts in Herbology and those who are natural fliers. While I've never seen you fly and the only magical beast I've seen you tame is Trevor, I still think that this might be the best wood for you." He dropped the blank into Neville's waiting hand.

Neville's face took on a look of wonderment, "This. It feels warm and alive, almost like it's sighing in relief that we've met."

Harry nodded and began rummaging around in his stock of cores, "Let's see, a core for you will probably not be a glamorous one. Something simple and down-to-earth… yes, I think this will work. Unicorn hair from a nursing mare, freely given."

"Why would that make a difference?"

Harry blinked owlishly for a moment then shrugged, "It wouldn't really. The nursing mare bit; it was just something of note though if you find yourself getting relaxed tending to your crops, it just may very well be a tiny reason for that."

"So that's it then? You'll craft up a new wand based on these two things?"

Harry leant back against the edge of his trunk and folded his arms across his chest thoughtfully, "No, I think there's one more element that you need but I'm not really sure about it."

Neville ran his fingers lightly over the wood blank, "What else were you thinking of?"

"I was thinking of maybe a gemstone. Maybe something of the softer side of capacitive power but I'm not sure it'd be necessary. I could leave the space open for the possibility of installing it at a later time," Harry mused as he fingered his own wand. Taking and releasing a loud sigh, he shook his head and retrieved the wood blank from the other boy and the unicorn hair from the desk, "I can have this ready by the end of next week. You can watch me make it if you'd like, we are roommates after all."

Neville shyly smiled, "Thanks, Harry. I appreciate it." Harry clapped him on the shoulder and grinned back.


	8. Chapter 8

It was the beginning of October and with it came a noticeable nip in the air, the leaves turning colors on the trees and the smell of pumpkin spice everything permeating the air in the hallways and classrooms. Harry, Hermione and Neville were lounging around in the sunroom and for the most part were either reading or studying for an upcoming DADA test. Harry though was reminiscing about their first full month in the magical school.

* * *

_**Flashback to the first weekend…** _

"But Professor Sprout! We'd gotten permission to bring our bicycles to ride around from the Deputy Headmistress." Hermione complained after being told that first years weren't allowed to leave the castle grounds. "There are plenty of trails that encircle the lake; we wouldn't have to range very far."

Pomona Sprout leant back in her chair and thought about Hermione's argument then got up and activated the floo, "Minerva? Do you have a moment to come to my office? Yes, there seems to be a miscommunication about the extracurricular activities that first years are allowed to partake in."

In a burst of green flame, Professor McGonagall stepped out of the fireplace and dusted herself off as she took in the upset look on Hermione's face and the hopeful expression on Harry's.

"Miss Granger? What seems to be the problem?" Hermione reminded her of the letter where the deputy had given tentative permission to the kids that they could bring their bicycles and ride them on the condition that it was only done on the weekend and if they had all their schoolwork completed.

Minerva blinked as her memory was jogged, "Ah yes, I do remember now. Professor, I did give them permission to do so. I'm sorry that I never forwarded you their letter." Pomona tilted her head in acceptance then shooed the kids off to go. Both Harry and Hermione left the office with huge smiles on their faces.

* * *

After grabbing their bikes and walking them out of the castle, Harry noticed that they were being followed by nearly the entire school. He glanced around and chuckled to himself before mounting his bike and taking off just barely ahead of Hermione. As they streamed past the gates, Hermione asked him what he was chuckling about back at the castle.

"The looks on everyone's faces; I'd wonder how many of them even realized that they too could ride their bikes, if they had any, around the lake? All they'd have to do is get permission like we did."

As with any other time that the two got to ride their bicycles, it quickly became a race to see who could reach their destination first. The two of them weaved around each other at breakneck speeds, laughing when the other was forced to pull back or cheering when they managed to surge ahead. The heady scent of the primeval forests, the clear air and the bright, cheery sun made their ride so memorable. During a break in their ride, Hermione was leaning back on her hands with her head tilted back so she could watch the sky and the clouds drifting past. She sighed in utter contentment at the joy of being away from the castle and its inhabitants. She'd thought that she and Harry would be with so many like-minded people; People that loved to learn and share their experiences. Unfortunately, that wasn't always the case.

"It's a shame that there are some bigoted kids there at the school and rude ones too! You'd think that they'd never seen someone with a scar on their foreheads before," she grumbled while Harry just shrugged a shoulder.

"I'm not terribly concerned with it," he began, "They can stare all they want, it just makes them look like the idiots. The bigots too, it's not my fault or my responsibility to correct them of their errors. That's the teachers' jobs."

They rode their bikes onto the grounds just in time for the dinner bell to ring. After stowing them in their rooms and taking a moment to wash their hands and faces as well as changing into fresh clothes, the two met up with Neville and headed up to the Great Hall.

* * *

_**Their second week…** _

Their first flying lesson brought the realization that just because Hermione was a speed demon on a bicycle, it didn't translate to flying a broom. She and Harry quickly discovered that she had a fear of heights. It was surprising to both of them as they'd gone on roller coasters before and she hadn't had a problem then. When they discussed it later, they both came to the conclusion that because there weren't any sort of safety restraints on the broom, there was a distinct possibility of falling off and getting seriously hurt whereas the roller coasters had the pull down bars and belts.

At their next lesson, Hermione explained their suspicion with Madam Hooch, the flying instructor and asked if there were any charms or spells that could help in this situation. Madam Hooch was surprised but did cast a cushioning charm on the ground under where they'd be flying that day.

Word had gotten out (not that they'd tried to keep it a secret) that Hermione had needed a cushioning charm to get through her lessons. This sparked off some rather unflattering teasing and in the case of Ron Weasley, outright insults. Hermione glared at the offending boy and stormed off. Harry quietly approached the red head that was still making disparaging remarks to the other boys in his house.

"Weasley," he growled menacingly.

Ron turned and backed up a step when he saw who had called his name and the angry look on Harry's face.

"Need I remind you what would happen if you insulted me or anyone I cared about again? That your insults offended a friend of mine as well as me? I've never been on a broom before and the cushioning charm was a nice thing that the teacher did for us."

"B, But Harry… what does it matter, she's only a know-it-all muggleborn and a girl on top of that," Ron stammered as he further jammed his foot into his mouth.

Harry's eyes narrowed dangerously and started to glow a deathly green, "You're out of line, Weasley. I'm done with trying to be nice to you. You can tell your Head of Family to expect a letter from me."

* * *

The very next day at breakfast, the Weasley patriarch, Arthur, arrived at the school with a thunderous expression on his face. He took Ronald by the ear and dragged the boy from the Great Hall. Neither one was seen until later when Ronald was forced by his father to stand in front of the entire school and apologize for his rude and unthinking insults to both Harry and Hermione. Ron also apologized to the whole of all muggleborns at the school for his rude comments about their lack of knowledge of the magical world.

* * *

One aspect that had never been mentioned in all of the known literature of the school was the pranking that went on between the students. Two people in particular were the most notorious for this problem. They were known collectively as 'The Redheaded Devil Twin Menaces.' Personally, they were called Fred and George Weasley. They pranked everyone and anyone with the exception of the headmaster and that was only because no one could figure out how to do that yet. The only safe spaces in the whole school were the teachers' offices and the Houses' Common Rooms and dorms. Everywhere else was fair game.

After arriving to lunch one afternoon sporting a hairstyle that could only be described as 'pointy,' their skin colored a hideous lime green and smelling like something that had crawled out of a cesspool, both kids decided that something needed to be done.

"What do you think we should do, Harry?" Hermione asked him as they were relaxing in the Puff common room on one of the sofas along one of the upper tiers, "I think we should get them back in a way that says in no uncertain terms that what they're doing is dangerously close to bullying."

"But is it really up to us to make sure they understand?" He ruminated thoughtfully, "Why not just present our problem to Professor McGonagall and let her deal with it?"

She harrumphed at that, "Others have done that and it's apparent that nothing results from those complaints. What if you were to write to their father again?"

Harry shook his head, "No, that should only be if they end up destroying our stuff. A change of hairstyle or something like that isn't cause for the big guns," an idea popped up in his head, "What if we were to enlist the aid of the house-elves? I know that Cinnamon would be happy to help and she's told us that the elves aren't exactly thrilled with the extra work they have to do to clean up after the twins."

* * *

They called for Cinnamon, who after hearing about their problem and potential solution, called for the Head Elf to come join in the planning. The very next morning as everyone was gathering in the Great Hall for breakfast, the Gryffindors were heard whispering about the kidnapping that had taken place during the night. Word quickly spread that the Twins had vanished sometime after they'd all gone up to bed and couldn't be found anywhere. All of their belongings and even their wands were still in place where the boys' had left them and no one had heard or seen anything out of the ordinary.

A search of the grounds was organized by the deputy headmistress and a couple of the staff. It was several hours later when both redheads were spotted emerging from the Forbidden Forest, both were extremely tired, dirty and smelled of animal manure. Both told the staff that they'd woken up in a manger at one of the local farms that supplied meats and grains to the school with no knowledge of how they got there. Both boys began to tell how they'd tried to find the rancher but there was no one else around and so they'd started trekking back to the school as best they could without their shoes or proper clothes.

After being led to the infirmary to get checked over by Madam Pomfrey, the twins eventually returned to their dorm and found a note on their beds telling them not to worry, it was just a prank. The look of terror on their faces remained in place for the rest of the day. The pranks they'd planned were canceled until further notice.

* * *

_**Their third week…** _

After his first interaction with Professor Snape and the 'secret' conversation they'd had using the 'Language of Flowers,' Harry was surprised by how well he was getting on with the usually dour professor. To everyone else, the man was acerbic and scathing as they tried to perform to his exacting standards. To Harry, he was not as bad…

Harry knocked on Snape's office door after the day's lesson had completed. When he was bid to enter, he asked, "Professor? Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

Snape just raised an eyebrow in silent permission so Harry plowed on.

"Why is it that you're here and teaching the first years? Is the school so hard up that they can't hire someone to teach the younger years while you teach the ones who've already had some experience?"

Severus leant back on his chair and thought about that. It was a good question. "That's a question that has been asked many times and each time has gotten a different response. The effect of that is no one knows why or what to do about it."

Harry made a discouraged face, "Well that's just silly. Anyway, I was wondering if you'd be willing to help me with a history project of mine. You see, I can go up to pretty much any adult and get hours of stories and anecdotes about my father but all I get about my mother is garbage along the lines of 'she was perfect for your father' or 'she was an exceptionally talented muggleborn.' Nothing on what she was like as a person. I've heard the stories of what she was like before she came here from my aunt Petunia but I'd like to know what she was like as a student. Professor Sprout tells me that you and she were in the same year together during your school years so I was wondering if you could help me?"

To say that Severus Snape was stunned by this plea for help in remembering was like saying that the sun was bright or that water is wet. It took him a few minutes to recover from his shock as he got up and paced around the room. He slowly slid into an open chair opposite of where Harry sat waiting.

"Petunia Evans? Why would you know what Petunia told you? You were raised in a castle somewhere, weren't you?

Harry slowly shook his head in amusement, "No, I was raised in Little Whinging, Surrey with my aunt Petunia, her husband Vernon Dursley and their son Dudley. I've been living with them since that morning after that Halloween, according to the stories I've heard growing up."

Severus' mouth dropped open in surprise, "But… never mind. What was it like growing up with them? Did they mistreat you in any way? I remember Petunia wasn't the nicest person to Lily as we grew up."

Harry shrugged a shoulder, "They're pretty cool. My cousin and I will horse around like cousins do. Uncle Vernon taught me how to repair and use power tools as well as helping me learn how to manage my money when we found out about my inheritance and Aunt Petunia taught me how to love gardening as well as how to cook. We share the rest of the chores when they need to be done."

"But your aunt and mother had a falling out…"

Harry's eyes lit up in understanding, "Yes, but according to the stories my aunt relates is that they made up some time before I was born and had been in constant contact ever since." He continued telling about his life in Little Whinging.

Severus slowly nodded as this new information percolated through his mind. Finally, he just gave up and accepted that Harry Potter was nothing like his father. The boy had not once indicated that he was a spoiled, rich brat like his father.

"So let me tell you what your mother was like…"

* * *

_**Flash forward to the present…** _

Harry continued to smile as he reached over and quietly took Hermione's right hand in his. A small, pleased smile appeared on the corners of her lips as she continued to read.

"How's your wand working for you, Neville? Any problems you've noticed?" Harry inquired quietly.

Neville grinned happily and waved it about while incanting the _Lumos_ then the _Nox_ charms, "It feels so light and free, Harry. My dad's wand made it feel like I was trying to stuff a hippogriff through a cat flap. Thank you again for crafting my own wand."

Harry bowed his head in grace at his friend's compliments, "So what's your take on our classes? I still can't believe the result I had in Transfiguration with the matchstick into a needle!" Hermione giggled at the memory. Neville chuckled his commiseration; somehow Harry had managed to change a wooden matchstick into a glass needle. Harry pulled out another matchstick from his pocket, waved his wand and cast _'mutata vitrum lignum;'_ the matchstick immediately changed from wood to glass.

Hermione clapped at the display, "Now change it back then to metal." Harry cast the spell canceling charm, _finite_. With another wave of his wand and the incantation of _'mutata ferrea lignum;'_ this time the matchstick changed from wood to metal.

Gesturing with his wand hand, "See? I can do it just fine, I don't know what I did wrong that time in class."

Hermione patted his free hand, "At least you learned something from this right?"

"Yeah, how to look like a complete idiot in front of others," he grumped.

"Oh, Harry. You've known how to do that since I met you," Hermione drolly replied then started squealing as he dropped his wand and started tickling her.

Neville sighed and went back to his reading.

* * *

That wasn't the only unusual thing to happen around Harry during their first month. For some reason no one could rightly explain, Harry's scar would start twinging whenever he was near Professor Quirrell. After the first episode, Harry went to go see Madam Pomfrey, the school medi-witch for a pain-reliever and to relate what it was that he was feeling and doing when he was in the professor's presence.

Frowning at the results from her negative diagnosis scans she replied, "Well, Mr. Potter I can't seem to detect any reason whatsoever that would cause your scar to hurt. All I can give you a pain-reliever potion and recommend some rest. I also recommend that you start a journal of everything you've mentioned and keep writing in it every time you have pain. Maybe then we can deduce some sort of pattern."

"From your experience, what _could_ make a scar hurt? I've never had any pain from that area before."

"What does the pain feel like? Is it a throbbing sensation or a spike like needles being thrust in?"

Harry mushed his lips around as he thought about it, "It's more like a pushing sensation, like something is trying to push its way out of my scar."

Madam Pomfrey looked surprised, "That's unusual. Well, I'll tell you what; let's have the professor come down and we'll see if it reacts the same way again."

* * *

Unfortunately, Professor Quirrell wasn't in the castle when she placed the call so she discharged Harry to go back to his dorm. As he was walking back to the Puff entrance, he heard whispers and giggling coming from around the corner. Curious he peeked around the intersection and spotted two first year Slytherins looking at a picture. He sidled up as quietly as he could and peeked a glimpse at the image then groaned internally. Somehow, someone had gotten a photo of him going through some morning exercises. He was dressed in a pair of running shorts and a tank top and his hair was its usually mess.

One of the girls must have heard something because she squealed in surprise when she turned and saw that the object of their giggling was standing not two feet behind them. She pushed the offending photo behind her and blushed furiously.

"Hello, Mr. Po, Potter. Is there so, something I can help you with?" She stammered nervously.

An eyebrow quirked up and a wry grin broke out on his face, "You know my name but I don't know yours."

The girl holding the photo replied, "I'm Daphne Greengrass and this is my friend Tracy Davis."

"Pleasure to meet you both. Where'd you get the photo?"

That brought on more blushes and a quiet reply of, "We took them. Tracy has a camera she brought from home."

"Uh-huh and why did you feel the need to take my picture without permission?"

Tracy shifted nervously on her feet and twirled a lock of hair with a finger, "I was just looking for something to take pictures of when I came across whatever it was that you were doing then. What were you doing?"

It was Harry's turn to blush, "I was doing Tai Chi. It's an exercise program that my cousin got me involved with before I came to school here."

An uncomfortable silence followed his answer before Daphne squeaked out that they had to do some…studying. She grabbed her friend's hand and dashed off before Harry could offer his good-byes.

* * *

As Harry entered the Puff Common Room, he spotted Hermione sitting with a couple of other firsties and a second year. She appeared to be teaching the others some new game she'd invented and was holding an introduction session. He smiled and wandered over to the small group.

"May I join you?" Hermione absentmindedly nodded as she continued to explain some intricacy of the game to Susan Bones.

"What are you playing?" he asked as he sat down.

"I'm teaching them how to play Pictionary. It seems that the magical world doesn't have the same sort of games that we enjoy in the non-magical world."

"Neat. You must be in heaven then? All the games that we have at home?"

Hermione beamed a happy smile, "Yup, I've already told them about some of the board games that I have at home like Mousetrap, Clue, Scrabble, Monopoly. I was going to try to explain video games but I think that might be too much for them to take in right now."

At his puzzled looked she explained further, "I'd first have to explain to them about electricity, how a computer works then about the game system we have at home. That's too much for one sitting."

Hannah Abbott giggled, "Our eyes started glazing over when she started to try and explain something called 'Donkey Kong.'

Harry laughed while Hermione just blushed.

* * *

Later, Harry was sitting at his desk in his dorm writing out a letter to his family.

_Dear Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon and Dudley;_

_Greetings from Hogwarts! I'm sorry I haven't written before now but there is just_ so _much to learn here at the school. Magic, it seems, is more than just waving a stick and saying some funny sounding words. There's notes that need to be taken, history of magic that needs to be learned and all sorts of other things that go into learning how to be a wizard. I think I'm doing okay with the subjects even if the teachers aren't the best._

 _Two in particular, well it used to be three but I finally had a conversation with him and found out something interesting that's helped in our new working relationship. The first not-so-great teacher is my History of Magic professor. He's a ghost and he's dead boring, emphasis on_ dead. _You'd think that having a ghost as a teacher would be interesting because they probably lived during the events they're teaching about. Not so in this case, Professor Binns apparently died in his sleep about a hundred years ago and the school just hasn't gotten around to getting a new one and from what I've learned is that you continue to do the same thing over and over again after you die. As a result, the only thing we've learned in History is the Goblin Rebellions during the 1800s._

_The other professor that isn't working out too well is our Defense Professor. The man has a terrible stutter that makes paying attention to what he says while trying to take notes is almost impossible. On top of that, he smells like he's been bathing in garlic. It stinks so bad and makes everyone's eyes water. Then to make things even worse (and weirder), my scar starts to hurt really bad whenever I'm near him! The school nurse is at a loss as to why this happens only around him and she's taken scans of my scar but nothing has shown up. All she can do is prescribe a pain-relieving potion and tell me to rest._

_The teacher that I've finally gotten along with is named Severus Snape. He teaches Potions and guess what Aunt Petunia; he knows you and mum! We've gotten together after class and chatted about what mum was like when they were in school together and you thought_ you _had funny stories to tell! Mum had a sense of humor and a sense of justice that was second to none. She apparently had a nasty temper too; one so bad that she'd been known to terrify the seventh years into submission._

_Dudley, I wanted to let you know that I've been doing the basic exercises for Tai Chi you recommended and I think I'm doing quite well, I haven't fallen over once! How's school going for you?_

_Uncle Vernon, I wanted to thank you again for the manual lathe you helped me build. Magic and electricity doesn't work well together with the electronics burning out after a while. The foot pump operated one you and I built works wonderfully and I even got to make a wand for a classmate of mine. He'd been incorrectly paired with his father's wand by his grandmother who declared that 'since it worked well for his father that it should be okay for him.' Wrong! That's not how wand pairing works. After explaining that to the boy, Neville Longbottom by the way, we got together and I crafted him a beautiful Chestnut and Unicorn hair wand. I left him the option of installing a gemstone at a later time should he need the added benefit. As of the time I write this, he seems to be doing just fine._

Harry finished out the rest of the letter with anecdotes about the bike ride he took with Hermione, his strange results from his transfiguration class, the retaliation to the pranks pulled by the twins and what had happened with Ronald Weasley before stuffing the rather thick letter into an envelope. He traipsed up to the owlery where Hedgwig was roosting.

"Hey, Hedwig! Feeling up to taking a letter for me?"

Hedwig hooted, fluffed up her feathers and glided down to him where she stuck out her leg. Harry attached the letter securely and gave his owl a kiss on her cheek and petted her head.

"Thank you milady. May your journey be swift and free of annoying obstacles. Take your time going and coming back, eh?" She hooted once more then launched out the window. Harry watched her soar away until she was lost from sight then made his way back into the castle.


	9. Chapter 9

**Charms Class**

"Professor Flitwick? Do you have a moment?" Harry asked at the end of their class.

"Of course, Mr. Potter. What's on your mind?" answered the perpetually jovial man.

Harry let out an aggrieved sigh, "Is there a way to check for a permanently ingrained memory charm? I'm having problems with Weasley the youngest again."

Professor Flitwick sighed in commiseration and motioned with his hand, "What has he done this time?"

Harry flopped down in an open seat, "I just caught him insulting muggleborns in general again and Hermione in particular; this after having his father come up to the school and disciplining him! You'd think that having to apologize in front of the whole school would make it sink in." He scrubbed his hands up and down his face in frustration, "I'm at a loss because I thought it was up to his Head of House to deal with his behavior while at school and yet I've not seen Professor McGonagall do anything. I'm too young to be dealing with this. Hermione tells me to just let it go but I can't."

Flitwick nodded understandingly, "I'll tell you what; let me go to Professor McGonagall for a peer to peer conversation and see what the holdup is. Most likely she's just swamped with having to work three positions at once and these incidents are just slipping through the cracks. Regardless of the outcome, I do want you to let it go as Miss Granger has suggested. You're right, you are too young to deal with this."

Harry thanked the diminutive professor and headed out to his next class.

* * *

_**Later that evening…** _

Hermione found Harry examining the hallway to the third floor corridor and grabbed his arm before he could step through the doorway.

"Harry! The third floor is forbidden!"

Harry blinked owlishly and replied in the same voice he used when barely conscious, "Must go see puppy…puppy needs me."

Now she was confused, it wasn't early in the morning so there shouldn't be any reason for him to be like this. She tugged on his arm and whispered, "The puppy is downstairs, Harry. Come on, I'll show you."

Still in a daze, Harry meekly followed Hermione as she led him downstairs and into the infirmary.

"Madam Pomfrey? Are you here?" The hospital matron appeared in her office doorway, "I think there's a problem with Harry. He doesn't seem to know where he is and I just caught him trying to go into the forbidden corridor. He says he needs to find a puppy and that it needs him."

The matron had her guide Harry to one of the beds then pulled out her wand to start casting diagnostic charms. What she found was disturbing…

"Merlin! He seems to be under a compulsion! How in the world did this happen? Was there anyone else in the area that you saw?"

Hermione shook her head in the negative, "I didn't see anyone nearby. Do you think the portraits might help?"

Madam Pomfrey muttered, "Possibly though they'll be more likely to report to the headmaster first. His own personal spy system, it is." She straightened up and spoke in a louder voice, "I think he'll be staying here for the night until I'm able to clear the compulsion from his mind. Miss Granger, is it?" Hermione nodded, "I'll let you stay then until just before curfew to keep him occupied."

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey."

* * *

_**In the Healer's office…** _

Poppy Pomfrey was a no-nonsense kind of healer. She ran the infirmary with an iron fist yet her bedside manner was impeccable. She was easily capable of dishing out appropriate justice to the idiots who came through with easily avoidable injuries to offering the homesick a shoulder to cry on. When asked why she was a school nurse rather than working in a prestigious medical institution like Saint Mungo's, her reply was always the same, "those kids need me more." The reason behind that answer was more disturbing than altruistic…

She knew full well who was behind the compulsion applied to young Mr. Potter. She'd recognize that magical signature anywhere. The headmaster, it seemed, was up to his old tricks but for the life of her, she was unable to piece together why. With a fortifying breath, she floo-called Pomona Sprout and Minerva McGonagall and asked them to come to her office for an urgent consultation.

The two heads arrived and were ushered into her office where Poppy began her explanation, "Okay, as you both know the security and anti-eavesdropping wards are active when the door is closed. The reason why I brought you both in is because Pomona, you're Mr. Potter's Head of House while Minerva, you're the Deputy Headmistress. A Miss Granger just brought Mr. Potter in after she found him trying to get into the forbidden corridor up on the third floor. She says that he was in a dream-like state not realizing where he was and that he was trying to get to a puppy that needed him. I scanned him and found a compulsion with the headmaster's magical signature."

That garnered exclamations from both women and a host of Gaelic swear words from Minerva.

Pomona groaned, "Now what is that old goat trying to do? First he manipulated the Sorting Hat into putting Mr. Longbottom into Gryffindor and now he's trying to force Mr. Potter into doing something dangerous!" At Poppy's curious look, Pomona explained what happened with the hat and why the resorting took place. Poppy just shook her head in disgust and sighed in frustration.

"Do you suppose that he's just gone senile? I would hope it's something simple as that," Minerva grumbled, "I'd hate to think that he's got another one of his overly convoluted 'Greater Good' plans going again."

* * *

_**Outside Poppy's office…** _

Hermione was getting worried about her best friend. Harry didn't normally act like a zombie, not even when really tired. It scared her that there might actually be someone who put some sort of compulsion on him to force him to go into that corridor. She didn't know what was in that corridor and she didn't plan on finding out. Harry was still occasionally trying to go find that imaginary puppy so in desperation, Hermione managed to transfigure a bed sheet into a reasonable puppy-shaped plushie. When she saw both Professors Sprout and McGonagall enter the infirmary then head directly into the matron's office, her heart began beating a bit more normally. _'Surely they'll figure it out. Professor Sprout can do it!'_

When the adults exited the office and headed over to where the two kids where, Hermione's pulse raced again in anticipation. Minerva looked surprised at the toy in Harry's hands then turned an inquisitive glance at the girl at his side.

"Miss Granger? Did you do this?" she asked, pointing at the toy. Hermione nodded shyly, "Most impressive, five points to you for an excellent job under the circumstances."

"Thank you, professor. Do you know how to get him out of the compulsion?"

Poppy smiled warmly at the distraught girl, "It's a fairly simple incantation. The trick is knowing who it was that set the compulsion in the first place. If you know that, you'll be able to lift it."

Hermione must've looked puzzled because Professor Sprout explained further while Poppy began dispelling the compulsion, "Everyone has a specific magical signature, right? Well, compulsions are tricky because they involve the mind and if the person who cast it was inept then the healer needs to be careful. It's like trying to unravel a wadded up ball of yarn created by someone else, if you're not careful; that string could break."

"So how does knowing the caster's magical signature help?"

Poppy took that as she had just completed, "I know the person who created this one and he will occasionally leave a tiny knot within the compulsion to act as a tether to his own mind. This tether will act as an alert that the compulsion has been detected. The person in question developed this during the last war to deal with informants and spies."

Harry blinked and groaned as his head spun back into semi-normalcy, "Oww… did someone get the license plate of that lorry?" Professor Sprout must've looked confused by the terminology because Minerva just smirked and shook her head.

Hermione was at his side in a heartbeat, "Harry," she whispered, "take it easy. You're in the infirmary."

Harry let out a low sigh of dissension and grumbled, "What the hell did Weasley do this time?"

"Which Weasley are you referring to, Mr. Potter?" Minerva asked.

Another groan, "Youngest."

"And what makes you think he had anything to do with your being here?"

"I overheard him making more rude comments about muggleborns in general and Hermione in particular. I told all this to Professor Flitwick…"

"Mr. Potter? This is Madam Pomfrey speaking now. Could you open your eyes please? What's the last thing you remember?"

Harry squinted in the relative brightness of the room and let out one more groan before searching for his glasses. Hermione handed them as well as a glass of water. After putting them on and taking a sip of water, he explained that the last thing he remembered was heading out from Professor Flitwick's classroom towards the library to work on his homework. He glanced down at the thing in his hands and quizzically looked at Hermione.

She sheepishly replied, "I had to do something. You kept going on about trying to get to some imaginary puppy. So I… transfigured a bed sheet into…that."

Harry grinned and patted her on the shoulder, "It must've helped so thank you."

* * *

Harry was discharged into both Professor Sprout and Hermione's care to head back to the Puff Common Room. Harry flopped down on the first available sofa while Hermione disappeared into her room for a moment. When she returned, she was carrying a book. She carefully sat down next to him and pulled his feet onto her lap.

"Just wonderful that now I have to deal with the headmaster's manipulations too. Sometimes I've wondered if going to this school was worth it." Harry quietly complained while shielding his eyes with his arm.

"Mm-hmm. What would you do if you had another option?"

He shrugged, "Probably hire some tutors and stay home. I'd pay for you to join me too, you know."

She smiled warmly at him and tweaked his toes, "I know."

* * *

**Halloween**

It was the tenth anniversary to the terrible, horrible day when Harry's parents were murdered, he was orphaned and the end of the war. All he wanted was to spend some quiet time with Hermione to commemorate the occasion. The school's population had other ideas…

When Harry and his friends entered the Great Hall for lunch, it was festooned with all sorts of decorations. Live bats flittered in the rafters, glowing eyed pumpkins hovered in the corners, and a pumpkin large enough to stand up in was being carved by Professor Flitwick and a couple of older students. With an apologetic look on her face, Hermione dashed off to see if she could either learn what charms were being used or if she could join in.

Draco Malfoy hurried over and silently motioned with his hand if it were alright if he sat there. Warily, Harry nodded his acquiescence.

"Mr. Potter, I wish to formally apologize for my behavior and words during our first introduction on the Express. It was rude of me to think that you would give up your friends so readily just because I showed up. If you're willing, I'd like to try again."

Harry stared at the blonde boy for a moment trying to figure out if the latter was serious in his apology. Finally deciding to offer another chance, he replied, "Thank you, Mr. Malfoy for your sincere apology. You're correct that it was rude and yes, I am willing to give it another try," He held out his hand, "Hello, my name is Harry Potter."

Draco shook his hand and gave a slightly embarrassed huff, "Hello, my name is Draco Malfoy."

"See? Not too difficult was it?" Draco rolled his eyes while Harry laughed, "So…what's your impression of the school so far?"

Draco pulled over a plate of roast beef and selected a slice before replying, "It's pretty good. I've heard so many stories about the place that I was nervous to get on the train. What about you?"

Harry snorted, "Contrary to popular belief, I wasn't raised in a castle or taught magic from an early age. I grew up with my maternal aunt and her family in Surrey just outside of London. I was told a few stories about the school from my aunt who heard them from my mother but for the most part, I was completely clueless about it until my third year primary school teacher, Miss Honeybloom started teaching my class magical subjects."

Draco was surprised, "Wait, she taught magic in a muggle school? How'd she get away with doing that?"

Harry grinned around the bite of his sandwich, "She taught it as an anthropology course."

Draco's face scrunched up in puzzlement, "A _what_ course?"

"Anthropology. It's the study of human societies, cultures and their development. Herbology was taught as botany, Potions was chemistry. She taught Ancient Runes as a language and had us learn how to read and translate the symbols then applied them to our school work. She taught the history of magic and would dress up as a character from that day's lesson to tell us what life was like back then and how magic was used to solve the day's problems."

Draco's eyes widened in amazement, "Wow, maybe the school ought to hire her to teach History here. Binns is an absolute joke." Harry agreed vehemently with him.

* * *

Hermione came bouncing over a few minutes later, her eyes aglow with recently acquired knowledge, "Harry! Professor Flitwick just taught me a new charm to help with the carving of the pumpkins… oh, hi." She trailed off when she recognized Draco, who shyly waved.

Harry recognized the mounting tension so he cleared his throat, "Hermione Granger, I'd like to introduce you to Draco Malfoy. Mr. Malfoy, this is Hermione Granger. She and I have known each other since the third grade." The two shook hands before Hermione plopped down and began excitedly informing both boys what she'd learned from the tiny professor and the others carving the big pumpkin.

After a moment of lightning fast speaking she asked what they had been discussing.

Harry motioned between him and Draco, "I was telling him about how Miss Honeybloom introduced us to the concept of magic but couched in terms that wouldn't affect the Statute of Secrecy. Draco here was expressing his wish that she would come teach History of Magic because Professor Binns is such a lousy teacher."

Her eyes widened and she took on a look of understanding, "I know, right?! He's so boring, he could put insomniacs to sleep! I don't understand why the school board keeps him around. Binns has been here for well over a hundred years so you'd figure that _someone_ would've thought to replace him after his death."

"At least Professor Snape is a good teacher," Draco quipped, "It also helps that he's my Head of House so I can go to him if I need help with the homework. What's your favorite subject so far?"

Hermione cocked her head in though, "I'd have to say Transfiguration. Harry?"

"Charms for me. What about you, Draco?"

"Potions. I want to be a potioneer when I graduate."

"How's your Herbology skills? We don't have the same classes together?"

Draco shrugged, "They're okay. I don't really like digging in the dirt if I can help it."

Harry took another bite of his sandwich then swallowed, "There's another thing I've got a problem with this school. Professor Snape is a renowned Potions Master yet he has to spend his time teaching brand new students on how to make potions. It seems like a waste of time to me. I asked him once why the school board doesn't hire someone to teach the younger years to let him cover the older students who would be more experienced."

Hermione swallowed her spoonful of soup and asked, "What did he say to that?"

Harry shrugged a shoulder, "He said that it's a question that's been asked before but that no one's been able to come up with a decent answer to. I also wish that at least one class for potions was taught in the greenhouse to help us identify what the plants look like before they're brought into the laboratory. I know that I can just ask Neville but he wouldn't be available all the time."

Draco was puzzled, "Longbottom? What does he know about potions?"

Both Harry and Hermione chuckled, "Neville doesn't know much about potions beyond what we've already been taught _but_ he does know plants. Sometimes I think he's part Ent."

Hermione giggled, "I am Groot." That cause Harry to laugh and Draco to become even more puzzled. That led the two muggle-raised kids to explain what comic books were and the story of the Guardians of the Galaxy.

* * *

As the day progressed Harry became more morose and withdrawn. Pomona pulled him aside and asked him what was wrong.

"I don't like Halloween because it just reminds me of the night when my parents were murdered. Normally back home, my aunt and I would spend the evening sharing stories of what my mother was like before coming here to school and say a prayer to remember her. I was kind of hoping to be excluded from the feast. It's just not my sort of thing."

Pomona was nothing if not compassionate and gave her approval, "I noticed that you were shying away from everyone else when they'd ask you questions. Would you mind if I were to share them what you explained to me? I'll make sure the house knows not to give you pity just understanding."

Harry sniffed sadly and nodded his acceptance.

Hufflepuff House was gathered in their common room for an impromptu meeting called for by the professor. Once everyone was settled, she began.

"The reason I've called you all here tonight is because of what this Halloween and all others means to Mr. Potter. To many of you it's a celebration of the end of the last war. To young Harry, it's the day that his parents were murdered by You-Know-Who. It's a time of sadness and quiet remembrance for him so I'd like you all to take his feelings into account while you're celebrating the occasion tonight at dinner. Mr. Potter and anyone else whose lost a loved one are excused from the festivities if you so desire it. If he doesn't want to talk about that night, please don't pester him. If anyone from another house has questions, please have them come to me."

Hermione remembered those evenings when Dudley went out trick or treating with his friends. She'd never really got into the whole thing, preferring instead to stay with her best friend so not going to the feast was hardly an inconvenience. She leaned up against him and rubbed a hand across his back as he reciprocated in kind.

* * *

**The Next Morning**

The whole school was atwitter about something that had happened during the feast last night. Professor Quirrell had come running in blathering about a troll that had somehow gotten into the dungeons. The headmaster then showed just how much he cared for those not in his old house by ordering the prefects to take their charges back to their common rooms. Harry couldn't understand why the old man had said that, _'Their house and the Slytherins were_ IN _the dungeons!'_ Once again, he wondered at the sanity of the man. Speculation was rampant but no one outside the teachers was knowledgeable about the outcome from the troll incident and the teachers weren't talking. Harry just shrugged it off and chalked it up to another weird feature of the magical world mindset.

Hermione and Neville arrived at the Puff's table at the same time and began building their breakfasts while also discussing some of the more wild rumors about the troll last night. Harry more or less tuned them out and instead concentrating on writing a letter home.

_Dear Aunt Petunia, Dudley and Uncle Vernon;_

_Well, one more Halloween has passed and I miss our talks about my mother. I'm really glad that Professor Sprout is my Head of House and that I'm a Hufflepuff. She brought everyone together and explained why I'd become rather morose and moody the days leading up to last night. The others in my house were sympathetic and didn't pity me at all, which was nice. She also asked that if anyone from another house became too nosy or pushy, they were to refer said idiot to her._

_A rather scary thing happened, well two actually. The first one happened nearly a week ago. Somehow and for some reason, the headmaster put a compulsion spell on me to make me go into the forbidden third floor corridor. I don't know why he did it but I'm grateful that Hermione stopped me before anything bad happened and dragged me to the infirmary where the school nurse was able to remove the compulsion. Professors Sprout and McGonagall were there too, probably because one is my Head of House and the other is the Deputy Headmistress. I don't remember much about the 'what and whys' of that night but Aunt Petunia, if you write to Professor Sprout, I'm sure she'll tell you. I'll let her know that I give her permission to tell you._

_The second scary thing happened on Halloween night at the annual feast. Supposedly a Troll had found its way into the school's dungeons and was rampaging around. If you don't know what a troll is, think of an ox twelve feet tall, weighing almost a ton and very magic resistant! I'm glad that Professor Sprout allowed me and a couple of others to stay in the common room because we wanted to commemorate the evening quietly._

_Things are going pretty well otherwise. I miss you all very much._

_Harry_

* * *

**Potions Class**

When the Puffs entered the laboratory to begin their lesson, the entire group immediately and quietly assembled their workstations and pulled out their notebooks, textbooks and quills then waited patiently for Professor Snape to begin. When the man entered, he was pleasantly surprised that both the Puffs and Ravenclaws were prepped and ready in advance without being prompted. He glanced over at Harry who nodded slightly indicating that it was indeed his idea to have everyone in place and attentive. Severus gave a slight smile and quietly awarded Harry two points for his leadership skills then began the lesson.

"Today you will be doing something a bit differently. Leave your workstations as they are and just bring your notebooks, and quills then follow me." Perplexed, the class did as they were bid.

Professor Snape led the class out to Greenhouse One where he began showing off and demonstrating what to look for and how to harvest the plants that would become the ingredients for their potions lesson. He explained the reason why some plant parts needed to be fresh while others were allowed to be preserved before use. He also went over the safety requirements on a couple of the ingredients as two of the plants had poisonous properties that would cause intense burning or a rash if improperly handled.

At the end of the demonstration, Professor Snape surprised everyone once again by asking if anyone had any questions. A couple of hands, including Harry's hesitantly rose.

Snape pointed to Susan Bones who asked if there were any alternatives to the oleander.

"For the purposes of this potion you'll be making, no there are not. Some of the more advanced recipes there are always alternatives. Anyone else? Mr. Potter?"

"Not on alternatives, I had a question on preparation but it can wait until we get back to class."

The rest of the class passed by smoothly and efficiently. Harry had asked and gotten an answer to his question on how to best prepare oleander and if there was okay to buy the oleander oil from the muggle world. Everyone magically raised was surprised by this question and even Severus was curious.

"As far as I know, the oil should be the same; it's just a matter of purity. Do you know how much the oil from the muggle world costs?"

Harry shook his head, "No, but it shouldn't be too difficult to find out. I just need to get to a phone book and a payphone."

"A _what?_ " came the perplexed question from the magically raised contingent.

"Think Floo Directory and the Network but without the need for fire," Snape commented absentmindedly while pondering whether he should take Harry up on his offer to investigate further. A good potioneer always looked for cheaper and better alternatives and sources for goods.

"Mr. Potter, stay behind after class."

* * *

**Interlude in Dumbledore's Office**

Albus Dumbledore was not a happy headmaster. His plans to get Harry Potter and Neville Longbottom into Gryffindor House had fallen apart within the first week of school then Harry's muggleborn friend intercepted the boy before he could get into the gauntlet of the third floor challenges and took him to the infirmary where Madam Pomfrey was able to remove the compulsion Albus had placed upon the boy when he came out of his Charms class. He was still in shock that Minerva had opposed him on the re-sort issue.

Severus had taken it upon himself to actually start teaching a well-rounded first year potions class for the first time in recent memory. The man had started becoming more open and friendly towards the other students not in his house during the trips to the greenhouse.

On top of that, the student/teacher relationship between Severus and Harry Potter was apparently not going the way that Albus had envisioned. He'd thought that having to teach the son of his most hated enemy would cause Severus to be overly antagonistic towards the boy but for whatever reason, that had never come to pass. Halloween was also a disappointment! Pomona had given permission for the boy and others in her house to not attend the feast if they chose not to. He knew he should've made attendance mandatory but got side-tracked earlier that day.

His spy network then informed him of the successful reattempt of an introduction between young Draco Malfoy and Harry. This was becoming intolerable! What was happening to all of his carefully laid plans for testing the boy before pitting him against Voldemort in hopes of the elder killing the other to end the prophecy and therefore allowing him to step in and defeating the Dark once and for all?


	10. Chapter 10

_**Pomona Sprout's Office…** _

Pomona was sitting in her chair nursing a cup of tea and chuckling to herself. She'd just witnessed something super sweet yet hilarious to boot. It was common knowledge amongst the older students and the staff that Minerva McGonagall liked to change into her feline animagus form and go prowling through the halls. She said it was the best way to keep tabs on the goings-on within the walls. Ordinarily, that wouldn't be a problem but apparently the elder woman hadn't factored one Hermione Granger into her calculations.

It seemed that Miss Granger had found the supposedly 'lost kitty' and brought her back to the Puff Common Room and was performing a kitty make-over with the rest of the firsties while chatting about the sort of things that would interest girls of their age. Minerva could only sit there and stew while being festooned with pretty bows and a tiny bell. Her fur was being brushed out into tiny whisps and curls and her claws painted in bright colors.

Pomona made sure to capture the memory clearly in her mind; she couldn't _wait_ to share this with the other teachers!

* * *

"Harry?" Harry looked up from the collection of his belongings he'd brought out to share with the others and focused on Hannah Abbot.

"Yes, Hannah?"

"Material goods aside, what is living in the muggle world really like?"

Harry leant back against the sofa and thought about it. He slowly shook his head as he tried to come up with a way to explain, "Um…well, it's kind of hard to describe that. I went to school, rode my bike with Hermione and occasionally with my cousin, Dudley. I have my wand crafting hobby and a couple of part-time jobs during the summer. Hermione, Dudley and I; along with our friends would go to the movies like other kids, hung out at the local mall, have sleepovers, that sort of thing. Without having something able to play home movies, I really can't explain it better than that."

"What are movies?" Wayne Hopkins asked.

"You know how the pictures in magical books move and sometimes talk?" Hermione replied to which the magically raised kids nodded, "Well, imagine a whole story like that played up on a large screen." She turned to Harry, "Maybe if I can figure out how to run electronic devices here, we can have movie night?"

Harry cocked his head and shrugged a shoulder, "Sounds like fun. How close are you to figuring it out?"

Hermione glanced down at the disguised Minerva (who was also looking rather curious) and brushed the cat's fur behind the ears, "I've not even started. I thought of maybe using a Faraday Cage but that would require a lot of copper wiring and I know I'm not capable of transfiguring something like that."

Harry paused in his sorting of colored markers in thought, "How big is the projector? Or would you use a VCR and TV?"

"For simplicity, I'd go with a projector and I can pick one up… hmm… I think I'm going about this all backwards. Hang on a minute." With that she jumped up and hurried towards her dorm room. The others looked back at Harry who smirked.

"She's got a series of folders that contain snippets of all sorts of knowledge. It's one of the reasons why I was surprised she didn't get sorted into Ravenclaw." Hermione came back then carrying a rather thick folder, plopped down again and opened the folder, rifling through the pages.

"Let's see… it'd have to be opto-mechanical…keep the electronics down to a minimum…16 or 35mm? Maybe an adapter if I can't find one or the other?" Her mutterings amused the others as they watched the brilliant mind of Hermione Granger at work. Harry had finally finished his organizing and called the attention of the other kids.

Motioning to where Hermione was, he commented that she'd be that way for a while, "Okay, so here in the magical world you have things like quills and rolls of parchment for writing, a general sticking charm to hold things together, and the like right? Well, we non-magically raised have so much more and yet also modern versions of the things that you're used to. Take for example, my notebook," he held up the book and showed his notes for last week's Transfiguration class, "With all that information, it can get confusing if you need to look up something specific. On top of that, writing with a quill is _not_ the easiest skill in the world to learn. We muggleborn and raised would normally use a pencil or a pen for writing and because they're ball-point, there's no really correct way to hold it in order to write legibly." To prove that point, Harry used a separate piece of paper to write out his name in both quill and a regular biro. The quill version looked like shaky chicken scratch while the biro version was neat and clearly understandable.

"On top of that, we come to the paper I used. Non-magical paper is made from processed cellulose of trees into individual sheets of a predetermined size. When a teacher tells you that they want four pages of writing, you know exactly how much to give her. There's no need to break out a ruler and try to measure the length of a roll of parchment. Additionally, because paper is so readily available, it's a lot cheaper than going into a magical stationary store and buying parchment. Finally, the paper has ruled lines on it so you can keep your notes and stuff in nice neat lines." He passed around the biro and notebook for the others to look over. If anyone had been paying attention, they would've noticed the cat was also attentive and examining the materials closely.

Next up on Harry's demonstration was a Walkman and his favorite cassette tapes. He explained and demonstrated its use as well as the problems of using it too often within the castle walls because of the interference of magical energy on muggle electronics. The kids' eyes swung back to Hermione where she was now busily sketching out ideas on how to make a runic array for the projector before returning to Harry. He then showed them his highlighter and colored markers. A couple of the more artistically inclined thought that these were awesome and impressed by how well the colors held together without spreading or dripping.

* * *

By the time that he was ready to show them his desk lamp (he'd been talked into getting a battery-powered one until Hermione could figure out the power issue), Hermione had moved onto etching a palm-size plate of tile to test out her ideas. When she finished etching in the last rune, she gave it an initial burst of magical energy and sat back to see if her idea would work. Her initial burst lit up the trace lines before fading away (she expected that), before the collector began to slowly glow and spread through the rest of the pathways. Without looking away from the tile, she reached out and asked Harry for a spare light bulb. She tapped into the connection lead and held the other side of the leads to the base of the light bulb. With a victorious yelp of delight and the sound of shocked awe from the others, the light bulb lit up strong and bright!

"Yes! I did it!" She shouted and threw her fists up in celebration, "Harry, gimme that desk lamp." She made for the lamp with grabby hands. Harry laughed at her enthusiasm and handed over the demanded item. She unplugged the light bulb, screwed it into the socket then with her ever present toolkit; cut the plug end off the power cord and attached it to the rune tile before successfully switching on the lamp.

* * *

_**Later in Minerva's office…** _

"It was the most amazing thing I've seen in many years, Pomona," Minerva exclaimed as she poured a cup of tea for the other woman. Professors Flitwick and Babbling, the Ancient Runes professor, already had their libations.

"You mean she figured out all the necessary connections, interfaces and which specific runes to use just sitting there?" Babbling inquired with a surprised look on her face as Minerva nodded, "Hmm, rare to find a first year with such raw talent."

"I've noticed that both children are exceptionally talented and curious about what could be learned beyond the usual things I teach in class," Flitwick mused, "It's such a joy compared to the children from magical backgrounds that are almost jaded by the time they get to the school."

Minerva passed around a sheet of the lined paper and a couple of colored biros and markers she'd borrowed off of Harry (he was still confused as to how she knew that he had the items, never once cottoning on to her animagus ability.) "Imagine if we were to modernize our writing tools to these items? No more having to try and figure out what they're trying to write, no more reading lines that start to angle off to one edge, highlighting a specific word or passage with a colored marker without making the rest of the page messy? It could work…"

Pomona growled a bit, "We'd have to get Albus' approval first…"

* * *

Harry and the other first year Puffs were up in the Astronomy Tower getting set up for their class. Both his and Hermione's telescopes garnered a lot of attention from both the kids and the teacher. Hermione was demonstrating some of the filters and other extra components that came along with the scope to great interest.

"I've got this one filter that allows for viewing of the sun during eclipses and solar flare activities but I don't like to use it when there are others around."

"Why not?" asked Lily Moon, a Ravenclaw.

Hermione scrunched her nose up, "Because they all want a look in. I have a special rig I built instead that allows for crowds. I'll bring it out tomorrow."

Once their telescopes were up and ready, Professor Sinastra began her lesson. While they were peering into the cosmos, the professor examined the differences between the usual brass telescopes from Diagon Alley and the ones that Harry was using and made a mental note to investigate the possibility of getting the requirements changed for the next year or barring that, getting a couple for herself.

* * *

It was the weekend again and both kids were eager to take their bikes on another adventure. Surprising both of them, they were joined by a decent sized crowd of all age ranges from the other three Houses, including two teachers, Professors Sprout and Babbling. Harry glanced over at Hermione who shook her head in amusement and shrugged her shoulders before speaking to the assembled crowd.

"Well, this is a surprise! I'm glad to see that there are others amongst us who enjoy bike riding as much as we do. The route is simple; we're just riding around the lake with a final pass through Hogsmeade. We won't be stopping in the town unless one of us needs to use the loo. Take your time and enjoy the ride. There's no shame if you need to stop and catch your breath because the trail on the north side does have a fairly steep incline, just let someone know that you're going to stop."

The professors stated that they would remain in the rear just in case so that let Harry and Hermione lead the group out of the castle grounds. Some of the kids were a bit shaky, especially those that brought bikes that were more suited for paved roads but with a bit of transfiguration and cushioning charms from the teachers everything worked out.

* * *

The hills rang with shouts of laughter, encouragement and even a couple of dares between the boys. The kids loved every minute of being away from the castle and getting some much needed exercise. The older kids were enjoying the break from their studies while the two professors were busily making plans to make this outing a regular occurrence and possibly into a club of sorts. When they took a break at the peak overlooking the lake on the north side after climbing the steep hill, Hermione dug into her bag and pulled out a folded metal contraption and set it up after checking its alignment.

"What do you have there, Miss Granger?" Pomona inquired, curious about the triangle shaped device with its oddly placed mirrors.

"This is my solar observatory I mentioned last night in our astronomy class. I use it when viewing the eclipses and solar flares in large crowds. If it were just me, I'd use my telescope and filter but as you can see…" she gestured at the kids scrambling over to get a look.

"So how does this work?" inquired one older Ravenclaw.

Hermione explained how the sunlight entered through a hole in the side, bounced off one angled mirror to another which in turned bounced the light to a third and then onto the base where a flat, non-gloss tile was positioned. She demonstrated how she could add in various filters, such as one to minimize glare or to produce a spectral line, to get the desired image to appear. That led to exactly what was a spectral line. Harry leant back on his hands and smiled as he listened to Hermione patiently explained the principles of the science to her 'class.'

* * *

Draco had gone along on the bike ride because that's where Harry was and the blonde boy was still intent on making amends for their rather rocky start. It was his idea to share Harry's idea for a potions class to be held in the greenhouse in hopes that it would garner a favor from the raven-haired boy. Severus had complimented Draco later for a successful Slytherin play and remarked that this was what being in their House was all about. The grand and convoluted political ploys that the others concocted (that usually failed) were best left to the small-minded and short-sighted. He was enjoying himself immensely on the ride and vowed to make the most of it. He was surprised by the impromptu class that had sprung up being held by the muggleborn girl yet was completely and surprisingly impressed with her knowledge. He would glance at the professors and older muggleborn students to gauge their reactions and made a personal vow to find out later if this information was true or if it was just nonsense that the bushy-haired girl, _'Granger, I think her family name was_ , _'_ was making up on the spot.

* * *

Daphne Greengrass, pureblood and quietly named 'Ice Queen' of Slytherin House was one of the few, heck probably the only one, not having a good time, however it was too late to change her mind and frankly, she wouldn't quit just because of how it might look. When she'd heard about the upcoming bike ride, she'd thought that it'd be a lovely little turn through the gently winding paved road through the town of Hogsmeade followed by a nice tea party along the lakeside. Instead and in her opinion, it turned out to be a grueling slog up and around the mountainous and muddy terrain. She internally growled insults and deprecations against Granger's parentage every time she glanced in the bushy-haired girl's direction.

She spotted Harry just leaning back and letting the other girl garner all the attention and shuffled over to the boy.

"Doesn't it annoy you that she's taking the spotlight?" Daphne gestured with a jab of her chin.

Harry turned his green eyes to the still sweating and panting blonde-haired girl, looking puzzled, "No, why would it? This is her area of expertise. Anything having to do with the sciences is her forte. If we were holding a lecture on wand-crafting and nature, she'd defer to me. That's just how we are. Why? Are you not enjoying yourself?"

Daphne gave him a withering glare and gestured to her red and sweaty face, "No, I am not! I was not informed that this ride through the country was going to be so arduous. If I had known, I would've stayed back at the castle."

Harry pulled back a bit, "Okaaay… I'm going to just… go… over there." He climbed to his feet and moved to a spot next to the teachers.

' _Great going, Greengrass. That was a stunning display of how_ not _to get the boy's attention!'_ she grumbled internally.

* * *

By the time the tired, dirty (and in Daphne's case, grumbling) bike riding crowd returned to the castle, Hermione had invites to Ravenclaw Common Room (something she found out later was a _rare_ occurrence) to further explain muggle sciences and technologies. Harry had collected a few ingredients and items to experiment with for an upcoming wand-crafting experiment as well as a request from Neville to get a couple of things he'd heard about but was unable to obtain due to his lack of a bicycle.

After stashing his bike away in his room and leaving Neville's request on the boy's bed, Harry dashed into the bathroom for a much-earned soak and shower. When he emerged; dried and dressed in comfortable non-school clothes, Harry headed back up to the common room only to change his mind and tack off towards the sunroom. There he found Hermione, already bathed and clean, relaxing with a Sudoku puzzle book.

"Which puzzle are you working on?"

Without looking up, she mumbled the page number and kept plugging away at solving the puzzle. Neville appeared and joined them a few minutes later; his trousers were kind of damp at the knees indicating that he'd been digging in the dirt not too long ago.

"Hey, you two. When did you get back?"

Harry returned with a lazy wave, "About ten minutes ago. I left you the requested material on your bed." Neville thanked him with a happy smile.

"So what did you get up to while we were gone?"

Neville gestured around him, "Spent the time puttering around here and in the attached potter's shed through that door there." He pointed towards a glass door off to the right, "Have I mentioned recently how grateful I am that you suggested that I speak to Professor Sprout about getting re-sorted here?"

Harry chuckled, "Only every five minutes." He pointed with his chin to the other boy, "You finish your homework? How's your Potions work coming along?"

Neville shrugged indifferently, "I got all the rest of the work done except for the defense assignment. I'm waiting for Professor Quirrell to get back to me regarding a book he'd recommended I read. I told him that there was only one copy of it in the library yet it was always checked out. He said that he'd see if the librarian would order a couple more. What about you?"

Harry picked at his nails a bit and replied that he too had all his assignments done, "I wonder what sort of other clubs and such the school has? It's going to get mighty boring if all there is; is just school and homework. Hermione might like that, though." He finished with a sly smirk as the girl in question playfully slapped him on the arm. He then went on to tell Neville about the impromptu science class she'd taught the others while they were taking a break from their ride.

He turned back to her, "Hey, I just thought of something you could also share with the Claws. Those Sudoku puzzles ought to be right up their alley, right?"

Hermione paused in her work and looked up with a wide-eyed expression of wonder, her mouth slowly dropping open in surprise before she squealed and grapple-hugged Harry.

"That's perfect! I've been wanting something that I could share with them for a while now. Oh, Harry! Thank you for the great idea." Harry grinned happily from where he was being squished in her arms. He patted her hand and squirmed free.

* * *

_**At dinner…** _

While Hermione was busy holding court at the Ravenclaw table sharing the concept of the Sudoku puzzles, Harry was composing a letter back to the Dursley's in response to the one they'd sent him that morning. He was dismayed and rather angry at the news that there was nothing they or Daggerclaw could do to oust the Dumbledore-appointed proxy on the Wizengamot until Harry turned 15 nor was there anything they could do to overturn the illegal magical guardianship that the headmaster held.

_Dear Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon and Dudley;_

_Let me start off by stating how upset I am that Dumbledore has managed to interfere so thoroughly in my life. I don't hold it against you but there've been times where I wish I could just withdraw from the school and just hire tutors. However, with the old man being my (illegal) magical guardian, I bet he'd say something to get that idea denied to me._

_I've been thinking about the problem and I was wondering Aunt Petunia if maybe you had_ some _sort of magical blood in you that could overturn his claims of guardianship? I've learned that while kind of a grey-area, a closely related Squib (non-magical born to a magical family) holds a higher claim than someone not related to the child in question. That being said, do you know if your parents were magical in any way? Do you think the Goblins would have a test for that?_

_I finally figured out a way to stay awake in my history class. I remembered that I brought ear plugs! I put those babies in and I can read and take notes without worrying about crashing into the table as I fall asleep to the droning sound of the ghost professor. He doesn't even notice and from I what I was told by the older kids, he's taught the exact same thing since he's died and therefore my solution to just read and take notes is a good one. Defense is…defense. I try to ignore the stuttering and the stench. It works for the most part, I've taken to sitting next to a window and cracking it open a bit to get some fresh air which does help a bit. The teacher hasn't said anything so I'll keep doing it until someone complains._

_Remember me telling you about that red-haired kid that was being all rude and everything towards anyone not born in the magical world in general and Hermione specifically_? _I wrote a letter to the boy's father who came down and dragged the git out for I'm assuming a talking to. The idiot did apologize and things did calm down for a while but then he started up again! I then spoke with my Charms teacher who said he'd contact the Deputy Headmistress (who's also the Head of House for the git) and see why she hasn't dealt with him. From what I heard, the kid got ripped into something fierce and was suspended for a week!_

He finished out the letter with the strange occurrence regarding the compulsion that he'd been hit with to go investigate the third floor corridor, Hermione's intervention and the eventual treatment. He also included the latest bike ride and the various other bits and pieces that happened. He stuffed the letter back into his pocket and continued to eat his dinner while watching the antics of the Weasley Twins in their never-ending quest for chaos. This time they'd pranked their older brother Percy by giving the older boy a bad case of flatulence combined with belching every time the teen said a specific word.


	11. Chapter 11

**Hufflepuff Sunroom**

Harry had woken up full of energy and something inside in him suggested that it would be the perfect time to craft some wands. He spread out his wood blank selection on the floor of the sunroom away from the main path but nearest to one of the multi-colored stained glass panels that had a pleasing climbing vine and flower design, closed his eyes, deepened his breath and opened his mind. As his meditation progressed he began to see a young girl, blonde haired and full of spirit yet able to see things that most either missed or ignored entirely because they were too jaded of the world. She danced with joyous abandon with the field pixies and fairies, laughing with a clear energy. Her luminous silver eyes missed nothing and shown with a light that was almost otherworldly. The girl took him in her hands and led him into joining with her dance. As he gazed into her eyes, he could see images of a strange creature that resembled a Welsh corgi but with rabbit ears and two unusual crumpled backwards spiraling horns jutting from its head.

Harry could sense that there was only one kind of wand that would be acceptable for someone so young yet so wise. She seemed to float between worlds so effortlessly, totally at ease with divining new secrets from the magical world and beyond…

Harry's eyes snapped open and he took a deep breath and let out a quick cough. _'Wow! That was one heck of a vision. I've never had one so clear before.'_ He quickly dug through his wood blanks and pulled out the bundle of beech wood then selected the one with the clearest and straightest grain. As he was shaping it, he subconsciously had his knife carving the beech wood a lap cut to accept another wood. He let his fingers work without trying to control them as it would be futile and ruin his flow. He then picked up a length of ebony wood and made the matching trim for the opposing piece. As his mind disconnected and allowed his magic to guide his hands, he idly mused that this wand would be uniquely suited to someone of great depth, subtlety and artistry and also for one who would hold fast to their beliefs no matter the external pressure to conform or be swayed from their purpose in life.

His hands had deftly carved the wood with a slight taper starting at about a quarter of an inch at the grip down to roughly one-eighth of an inch at the tip, drilled through the center with his hand operated drill brace and 5/32 bit then carefully inserted an unusual blended core of fairy wings and a tail hair from a unicorn. The shaft had an extra element grafted to the surface of the wood: Abalone shell nacre. According to his research and correspondence with a Native American Shaman, the vibrant color and natural luster of the Abalone shell helped to impart a calming, spiritual vibration and helped the user to work through emotional issues.

* * *

When Harry finally came back to himself, he looked up and spotted Neville sitting on one of the empty chairs casually observing him while apparently _petting_ a plant.

"Nev…Neville," Harry croaked out, his voice rough from lack of use, "How long was I sitting here?"

Neville looked at him with mild concern, "You've been sitting there since before breakfast, Harry. It's nearly lunchtime. You're lucky that this is a weekend, otherwise a search party might've been sent out to look for you."

Harry nodded distractedly before roughly calling out, "Cinnamon!"

The Sunroom elf popped in, "Yes, sir?"

"Could I get a cup of tea please?"

Cinnamon bowed briefly and popped out. A moment later, a tea service appeared on the table.

"Thanks, Cinnamon," Harry called out to the empty air then proceeded to pour himself a cup. He gestured to Neville who shook his head. Once his thirst was quenched, Harry began cleaning up his workspace and occasionally glancing at his friend and his odd activity.

"Um… Nev? Why are you petting that plant?"

Neville glanced down at the small potted plant in his arms, the leaves barely quivering, "This is a Mandrake seedling that I found near the back close to where the potting shed door is. I don't know how or why this little thing ended up there; I just know that it's an extremely dangerous and rather neglectful thing to do so I repotted it into this pot and plan on putting it back in the greenhouse where it belongs."

"What's so dangerous about it? I don't remember anything about it in my crafting journals."

Neville shook his head; his hair getting wispy, "Nah, Mandrakes aren't good for anything outside of a potion lab. They're used to restore those who have been petrified and their cries are fatal to those who hear it."

Harry's hand paused above his knife set and his widening eyes slowly slid over to the sandy-haired boy, "Say that again… Its cries are _fatal_?"

Neville grinned cheerfully, "Yeah but only if they're disturbed or violently uprooted. At this one's stage, at best it might give someone a strong headache. It's only when they become adults does it slide into the category of fatal."

"Should you be petting it then? It's quivering."

Neville waved off his concerns, "It's fine, nothing more than the slight vibrations of a baby breathing when you rub its back. It's kind of funny really, I paused in petting it earlier and what I'm guessing was its arm emerged from the soil and took my hand and placed it back on its leaves. Almost like it was demanding I continue." He smiled warmly down at the tiny cluster of leaves.

Harry snorted in amusement at his flora-obsessed friend. _'The Sorting Hat must've been nuts to try and sort Neville into Gryffindor at first.'_

* * *

After dropping off his stuff in his trunk and giving himself a quick wash, Harry and Neville headed out to the Great Hall for a bite to eat. When the two boys entered the Great Hall, he spotted Hermione ensconced with the Ravenclaws seemingly engrossed in a deep conversation as they were clustered around a thick stack of paper, some books and were heavily engaged in taking notes. He sat down in an empty chair and pulled over a plate that held some bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwiches. He selected one and then grabbed a bottle of aioli mayonnaise and slathered on a bit to the sandwich and finally taking a large bite.

Sighing in happiness at the taste, he waved over at Draco who was glancing in his direction while simultaneously holding a conversation with another first year Slytherin, Theodore Nott. Draco nodded back to him and turned away.

"So, Harry? Who was that wand intended for?" Neville asked after swallowing his mouthful of chicken pot pie.

Harry shrugged, "Dunno. I never know their names or even what they look like sometimes. This particular vision though, this one came in strong. She has long blonde hair, silver eyes and ran wild with the field pixies and fairies. She seemed to be able to make connections between the mundane world and the spiritual one with ease. Truly amazing really, I hope I get to meet her someday."

* * *

While Harry was busy eating, Hermione was in her element. She'd introduced Sudoku to the Ravenclaws and now that was all they wanted to talk about. Deeper discussions of the arithmantical aspects, whether or not it could be used to assist in magical theory, the topics went on; sometimes they got downright silly as one Claw wanted to know if the non-magicals were using this as a form of mind control.

In addition to the Sudoku, she'd introduced a number of other mundane puzzles and games that she'd modified over the years. The younger students thought that Pictionary was a load of fun while the game of Jenga was of most interest to the older ones as they analyzed every angle and permutation to keep the tower steady. Nearly all of them thought that the game of Scrabble, both in runic and regular version was beneficial to their studies and helping remember words and arrays. She'd written to her parents and asked if they'd be so kind as to send her puzzle trunk that was in her closet. When it arrived and opened in front of the studious Ravenclaws, you'd be forgiven if you thought their wide-eyed expressions resembled those that had discovered the Lost City of Atlantis.

Also contained within, there were the physics-related toys that really blew the minds of the House of the Wise. Tensegrity tables, Jacob's Ladders, Photochromic plastics, a fire piston, vortex marbles, a poly density puzzle and a plasma globe were studied intensely as were the wooden puzzles with the seemingly impossible task of removing a metal ring from the base with the string and ball in the way. The toys that required electricity were modified and powered with Hermione's rune array that changed ambient magical energy into the proper current.

* * *

_**Up at the Teacher's Table…** _

Filius grumbled once more as he watched the brightest witch of her age once more showing off something of wonder from the muggle world. He had nothing but respect for that world, his frustration came from the fact that Pomona had somehow been lucky enough to get the young talented girl in her House.

Pomona leaned over to ask with a look of concern on her face, "Is there a problem Filius?"

Flitwick merely half-heartedly glared back at his colleague and waved a hand at the Ravenclaw table, "Miss Granger is back again and once more showing off the bounty of scientific knowledge that we magicals seem to be lacking. I still think the Hat was Confounded into thinking that she'd be better off in your House."

Pomona could only chuckle at her friend's grumpiness, "I asked her about that once. She said that she wanted to be in the House that would help her gain friends while still allow her intelligence to flourish. From what I can see, it's working splendidly."

Flitwick merely grumbled again as he took another bite of his sandwich.

* * *

Draco walked up to where Harry and Neville were sitting with Theo in tow. After a round of greetings, both Slytherin boys were welcomed to join them. Gesturing off towards where Hermione and the Claws were excitedly going through the various puzzles and whatnot, Theo asked Harry if there was anything he was good at.

Harry smirked, "Well, I'm particularly good at crafting wands, if I do say so myself. It's nothing formal mind you but Ollivander himself has requested that once I pass my OWLs, I should seriously consider accepting his offer of apprenticeship." The other boys were agog in surprise and a lot of awe. It wasn't every day that anyone got offers of apprenticeship let alone a first year student.

"What about games and the stuff that Granger has been showing off lately?" Draco asked. Harry ruminated for a moment before holding up a finger.

"Hey, Hermione!" He bellowed across the Hall. She looked up with an annoyed expression for not only being yelled at across the room but also because she was rudely interrupted from a conversation she was having. "Do you have any games or puzzles that would be good for Slytherins?" That annoyed expression slid to one of curiosity and contemplation.

"Yeah, I think I have my Monopoly set in the trunk. Do you want me to get it for you now?" She replied in a more calm (read indoor) voice.

"It can wait until you're done there but no later than after class. Thanks, Hermione!" Harry finished with a wave and turned back to the curious purebloods, "Monopoly is a game where you make deals, buy and sell property and try to earn more money than your opponents. The game only ends when there's one player with both all the money and property or when the opponent gives up."

* * *

_**After classes…** _

Hermione caused a bit of a stir when she re-entered the Puff common room wearing what appeared to be normal clothes. Harry glanced over at his best friend but couldn't see what all the commotion was about. It was only when she plopped down on the couch next to him did it finally dawn on him and then he broke out in laughter.

"Ah, brought one of your funny message shirts eh, Hermione?" She glanced down at her T-shirt then back up at him with a smirk on her face. The shirt read:

' _I'm allergic to stupidity, I break out in sarcasm.'_

"Cute. So did you bring the Monopoly game out?" She nodded and held up the box before handing it over.

Harry gathered up Neville and sought out Draco and Theo, plus Greg and Vince since they were there too and set them all up in the Great Hall so they could have room to play. Harry explained the rules and the purpose of the pieces before reminding them once again that because it was a muggle game, they shouldn't expect the pieces to move like they did for wizard's chess. (Vince had been poking at the inanimate pieces.)

"Okay Draco, here's the dice. Shake them in your hand and roll them on the board to see what your number is. The one with the closest number to 12 goes first." Draco rolled an 8, Neville a 2, Harry rolled a 5, Greg rolled a ten and Vince rolled a whopping 12. He looked sheepish at his winning roll.

* * *

Draco rolled a six when it was his turn to go and landed on Oriental Avenue. He glanced around and saw that no one else had the card nor any of the other two so he went ahead and bought it. Neville fumbled the dice and had to go scrambling after one of them so while they were waiting, Draco turned to Harry and asked him what was so great about living in the dirty, muddy hovels of the muggle world.

Harry's face was a picture of confusion, "What are you talking about? What dirty, muddy hovels?"

Now it was Draco's turn to be confused, "I was raised to believe that muggles lived in squalor and scratched in the dirt for their sustenance." Harry slowly shook his head in pained derision and sighed.

"No one lives like that unless they're from an undeveloped country like in the middle of a jungle. My aunt and uncle's house is a two story wood and brick house, painted a basic white color and rose-red trim. The windows have glass in them and can be opened to let in the light and fresh air. It's got a wood shingle roof and we have all the modern conveniences like central air and heating, electric lighting, a television set and radio. We also have a dishwasher and microwave oven. The floors have carpeting except for the kitchen which has linoleum and the dining room which has hardwood flooring. There are pictures on the wall and we all sleep in our own beds."

"But… why would my father say otherwise?"

Harry harrumphed, "Have you and your father _been_ to the muggle world?" Draco shook his head, "Well, there you go. I'll bet he was told stories of how the muggle world looked like before the modern era and just passed the stories onto you." Draco sat there quietly and thought about what Harry had said.

* * *

An hour later and it was down to just two players. Surprisingly, Harry was the third one to drop out for lack of funds. The other surprise was that it was down to just Greg and Vince to win the game. No one was more surprised by this than Draco who swore repeatedly that the two boys had always given the impression that they weren't just that intelligent enough to be so cunning. Harry countered that perhaps that _that_ was their cunning. Make others think that you're a simpleton and they'll dismiss you at their own peril. Draco vowed to keep a closer watch on his roommates from now on. Vince had control of the board from light blue squares up to the red squares along with 2 railroad cards. Greg had one railroad card, both utilities, the yellow up to green cards and the two low end purple cards. Greg was also ahead in liquid cash.

Professor Sprout came through to round up her wayward charges so they wouldn't be late for curfew. At that, they took stock as to who had what. Vince was the magnanimous one and allowed Greg to be declared the winner. Before they split to go back to their respective Houses, plans were made to hold a rematch.

* * *

**First week of December**

Harry was sitting in the Great Hall eating his breakfast when the morning post was delivered. Hedwig arrived in a graceful swoop and was divested of her letter. He pushed over a plate of bacon and let her choose her own reward. He quickly scanned through the letter, paused and read it again more slowly before slowly lowering it with a frown and thunderous expression on his face. Hermione appeared and settled in a moment later, a greeting dying on her lips when she took in his countenance.

"Harry? What's wrong?" His eyes flicked up to meet hers.

"I got a letter from Aunt Petunia and she wrote me that her request for a hearing on transferring the magical guardianship to herself has been denied on the grounds that a muggle has no reason or ability to properly care for a magical child. She goes on to relate how she was able to produce all the necessary paperwork but was still turned away because of who is on record of being my guardian." He thrust his chin in Dumbledore's direction.

Hermione shook her head in commiseration, "That's terrible, Harry." She sat there quietly for a few moments, chewing on her bacon sandwich. "What if you were to write to the review board and used a bit of that fame this world thinks you have to get things moving?"

Harry quirked an eyebrow up and cocked his head, "Not a bad idea. Might work."

"What else did she have to say, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Hmm? Oh, she mentioned that according to the most up-to-date Will, my godfather should've been the one to raise me but they just found out that he's been in prison since 5 November of 1981 for supposedly killing my parents, another friend of my dad's and twelve muggles. She and Uncle Vernon have tried to get more information about the trial and why the updated Will and the information within wasn't read but she's mentioned that they couldn't find anything about a trial being held…at all."

Hermione's face took on a horrified look and her mouth dropped open. _"No trial!"_ she squeaked out.

Harry shook his head, "Nope, nothing. So they're working in conjunction with the Goblins to get that sorted out."

* * *

Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott arrived a few moments later and sat down to begin making their breakfast. Harry was just idly watching them without really seeing anything when Susan poked him in the shoulder, startling him out of his reverie.

"Something interesting there, Harry?"

He shook his head to clear his mind and grinned sheepishly at the strawberry-blonde haired girl, "Sorry, I was lost in thought about a rather upsetting letter I received from my aunt." He trailed off to silence before raising an eyebrow at the girl, "You said once that your aunt does something with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, right?"

She nodded warily, "Yeah, she's the Head of the department. Why?"

Harry glanced around before leaning in and relating what the problems he and his relatives had been having with the Ministry and Dumbledore's illegal magical guardianship along with the news that his godfather had never gotten a trial back in eighty-one. Susan's eyes grew wide and her face paled at the implications.

"S…so you want to know if you can contact my auntie and ask her if she'd be willing to help out?" Harry nodded hopefully. Susan sat up a bit straighter and with a determined look on her face said that she'll write to her aunt as soon as possible.

"Let her know that I plan on writing a plea on my own behalf to the review board that my aunt and uncle were the ones who raised me and that I've never once met, seen, or spoken to Dumbledore before arriving here at the school and that begs the question as to what exactly has he done for me as a guardian?"

Hermione piped up, "You should also include in your letter about the strange things that have been happening while here in the castle, Harry. Your scar hurting while around Quirrell, the confounding that made you try to head up to the forbidden corridor and what you told me that the Hat told you."

At Susan's curious look, Hermione filled her in on the strange event. Susan shook her head and wondered aloud as to what the headmaster's game was and why he seemed to be focused on Harry so much for.

Gesturing with his spoon, Harry remarked that that was the million Galleon question.

* * *

Tuesday afternoon found Hermione trailing after Argus Filch as he went about his route to make sure that the students weren't damaging the portraits or other artworks. She would occasionally break out with a barrage of questions regarding a portrait's history and what it took to keep it looking so good.

"Mr. Filch? If you're not a wizard and can't use a wand, how do you activate the portrait's magic so that it starts moving again?"

Argus paused in his sweeping of a section of the floor nearest the door to the quad that had gotten muddy and thought for a satisfactory answer, "If it's a portrait that's never been hanging here in the castle before, I have to ask one of the staff that has a wand to activate it otherwise the resident of the frame just goes to visit someone else for a while."

"Does the person portrayed feel the damage or the repairs after you're done restoring it?" He nodded.

"Yes, they say that it feels like there's a different tension in the canvas that I'd say would be the same as you and I feeling the difference in our skin after a healed wound."

"How did you get to be so good at art restoration and why aren't you working in a gallery in the muggle world?" He seemed surprised at that last question and stopped sweeping and leaned on the broom handle.

"You know, that's a good question. I'd imagine that simply I just never considered working in a muggle gallery. I went to the University of Edinburgh and got a Bachelor's Degree in Art and after I graduated I applied to work here for the summer while waiting for replies to other job inquiries elsewhere. I guess I just got used to going about my job here though nowadays I feel like that I need to be here otherwise there'd be no one who could take care of the castle and the artwork. Those Weasley Twins are a right menace."

Hermione grinned evilly, "Did you ever hear about the time that the Weasley Twins got pranked?" Argus slowly nodded and hummed happily at the memory. "Harry and I along with the castle elves did that."

Argus looked at her sharply, "Say that again?"

Hermione looked proud, "Harry Potter and I along with the castle elves pranked the Twins. The elves are tired of cleaning up the mess that is usually caused by them but really couldn't do anything about it because it's somehow against the rules for the elves to take revenge. They could and did assist a witch or a wizard but they cannot instigate retribution on their own."

Argus was impressed by her daring to take on the Twins and come out ahead.

* * *

**Next Morning**

Pomona was in a staff meeting listening to Severus continue to gripe about the perceived dunderheads in Gryffindor. It was an old argument so she mostly tuned it out. Argus was sitting next to her with a curiously content look on his face so she leaned over and asked him what changed to make him so happy.

"One of your first year Puffs. A Miss Granger, if I recall her name correctly. She's a spunky little thing that loves to follow me around and ask all sorts of questions about my past as an actor and my work here in the castle."

Pomona pursed her lips, "She's not being a bother, is she?"

Argus waved his hand, "Nah, she's a delight actually. I've never met a child with such an inquisitive mind before. Not only is she knowledgeable about the details of the show I was the star of but she's got an interest in just about everything. Just last week, I was repairing a portrait that had gotten ripped; she sat there in a chair next to me and peppered me with questions about the methods I used and why. She was even taking notes as I was explaining. It was quite refreshing."

"You talking about young Harry?" Hagrid rumbled as he settled into his specially made chair.

Pomona shook her head, "Hermione Granger. Why? Has Mr. Potter done something?"

Hagrid shrugged one massive shoulder, "The Centaurs have reported him scouting out the boundaries of their territory as well as poking around the forest near me hut. They say that he's not intrusive but they are kind of curious as to why a first year is out there without a teacher."

* * *

After the meeting (where again nothing of note took place), Pomona flagged down a prefect to go find and bring Harry to her office. A few minutes later, there was a knock on her door. Waving in Harry, Pomona dismissed the prefect with her thanks and motioned the boy to have a seat.

"Mr. Potter, I've gotten word that you've been straying into the Forbidden Forest unaccompanied. Care to explain why?"

Harry picked at his thumbnail and dropped his head sheepishly, "I was hoping to be able to speak with the Centaurs. I read that they're especially knowledgeable about divination magic and was wondering if they'd be willing to explain some topics I've been having trouble understanding when I start crafting wands."

Pomona cocked her head in confusion, "You didn't know that we have a Divination professor here already?"

Harry scrunched his face up in disgust, "You mean 'Professor' Trelawney? She couldn't See her way out of a brightly lit room with a clearly marked exit. I tried to speak with her but she was drunk and barely coherent."

Pomona sighed. That was usually the response whenever someone related their experience with Sybil. Straightening herself up, she pointed out that the forest was not to be entered unless they had a teacher escorting them. Harry nodded his acceptance and asked if she knew who to contact within the Centaurs to ask about his questions.

"Hmmm, I'd try first with Hagrid. He's the gamekeeper and the one who interacts with them the most. Have you met Hagrid?"

Harry perked up and laughed, "You could say that. He was the one who escorted me and my aunt and cousin to Diagon Alley after I got my letter."

Again, Pomona's face grew concerned, " _Hagrid_ escorted you? But Min, er… Professor McGonagall is the one who's supposed to handle the muggleborn and raised introductions." Harry just shrugged. "Okay, no matter. There wasn't a problem during that trip was there?" He shook his head no. "Okay, good. So just to repeat, don't go into the forest unless accompanied by a teacher."

"I promise."

* * *

_**Later that evening…** _

Harry was sitting at his desk; his rune powered lamp shining brightly on the letter he was writing to Mr. Ollivander. He'd left word with Hagrid about his request to speak with the Centaurs but figured that maybe Ollivander would know the answers he sought as well.

_Dear Mr. Ollivander;_

_I'm writing to ask you a couple of questions I've had regarding the usage of Centaur hair in wand crafting. I'd thought about asking the Centaurs here directly but from all accounts, they're a rather surly bunch and can get violent if asked a question they find offensive. As I understand it, the hair from a Centaur is used in wands destined for those who have skill in Divination and Seeing. My question is, does it matter if the hair comes from the tail or their head? From what I remember of muggle science, hair is hair regardless of where on the animal it was found. I ask because the hair from a unicorn is sometimes referred to where it was harvested (ex. Tail hair versus mane). My other question is how to differentiate Chimera scale from ordinary serpent scale? Is there a difference or does it come back to the same as the Centaur question? Finally, has anyone ever tried to make a wand in the shape of a ring for a finger? I had a spark of inspiration for a wand ring for the elderly that cannot hold a normal wand because of either arthritis or some other injury to their hands._

_I hope that everything is well with you and that your business continues to thrive. School is enjoyable so far despite having to put up with the ghostly Professor Binns and his monotone speaking that puts everyone to sleep or Professor Quirrell whose stuttering makes nearly impossible to take effective notes. For some reason he also makes my scar hurt whenever I'm in his presence, though no one is sure as to why._

_Sincerely,_

_Harry Potter_


	12. Chapter 12

**Gringotts Caverns, Home of Daggerclaw**

Daggerclaw shuffled into his spacious and, in his opinion, luxurious home and dropped heavily into his favorite chair. His wife placed a glass of mead down on the table next to him and slid into his lap.

"What's wrong, dear?" she playfully growled and teased his ear with a long, clawed finger sending shivers down his spine.

He grinned back at her, showing a full set of sharp fangs then slumped as tiredness enveloped him again, "The usual really. Those blasted humans are arrogant and rude; they have no sense of propriety and etiquette. There've been times I wish that we could close our doors until they learn some manners."

"Since when has any of that been a cause to get you to be like this though? Surely there's been one bright spot to your day?" She said with a twinkle in her eye. He leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"You're right, as usual." He thought for a moment and chuckled in self-deprecation for a moment, "There were actually _two_ bright spots today, soon to be three."

"Oh?"

He nodded once and got that grin on his face that most Goblins got when there was money to be made. His wife slid off his lap and pulled up a chair to face him, "So? Tell me? Which one of the humans got shafted?"

Daggerclaw took off his jacket and undid his tie before taking a sip of his mead, "Ok, let me set the stage for you. As you're no doubt aware of, I'm the Potter Family Account Manager. For the longest time, I've been trying to get in contact with the Potter heir and his guardians to go over some paperwork. I could never get a response and we both know that going to the Ministry is an utter waste of time. That blasted human who likes to think himself the next Merlin is the worst of his kind." She waved her hand in a motion for him to get to the point.

"Right, so it wasn't until August of this year that lo' and behold, who should drop in but the Potter heir and his maternal aunt looking for information about the accounts!" His wife's mouth dropped open in shock, "I had thought that maybe the family lived overseas and it just took time for the letters to reach them; you know how slow the muggle mail service is. Anyway, it turned out that they'd never received _any_ letters! Not from Gringotts, not from the heir's fan club…no one. Well, naturally that's very suspicious especially since there's been activity in the accounts, withdrawals and such."

Daggerclaw rose to his feet and started to pace as he expounded on the history of what had transpired during the first couple of meetings. He paused as he took another draft of his mead and pointed at his wife, "You'd like the family. They are a warm, loving couple with a young son of their own, fiercely protective of their family and supportive of the Potter heir. The husband…if I'd never met the man and only knew him through written correspondence, I'd swear he was a Goblin. The human has a ruthless business streak I've not seen in ages and rarely amongst the humans! Anyways, it was he who clued me into a possible solution to getting guardianship awarded to his wife. The muggle legal system still has the records of law dating back to the earliest days." He paused and grunted in amusement then waved off her confused look, "Nothing, errant thought. Where was I? Oh, yeah, so according to the laws of guardianship which incidentally predate the Statute of Secrecy _AND_ are part of the written laws within the magical government, we now have a way to overturn the illegally claimed guardianship of Albus Dumbledore!"

His wife snarled in happiness and giddy glee, "May I see these documents or did you leave them in your office?" Daggerclaw gestured to his briefcase and so she bounced to her feet and scampered over. He handed her a thick sheaf of paper, something she noted to be of higher quality than the usual parchment and began to read. The title was most unusual and she was having a bit of trouble trying to pronounce the strange words, "University of Chicago Law School, 1978 Tulane Law Review… Roman Laws of Guardianship in England 1300-1600… Richard H. Helmholz…"

* * *

While she was busy going through the review, Daggerclaw checked on their children who were finally all asleep before taking his own bath and getting ready for bed. When his mate entered their bedroom she had that look on her face that was reminiscent of a warrior right before the battle.

"You were right, dear husband. That was incredible! Some of the writing was difficult to get through though the fact that it was written for other lawyers and historians, I'm not too terribly surprised." She slid into the bed next to him and traced a finger over his chest, "You mentioned earlier that there were two perhaps three bright spots to your day, what were they?"

"Well, first was the meeting with the Dursley adults. They always put a smile on my face simply because they understand the importance of business and getting things done quickly and efficiently. That and because they're always interested and proactive in getting the Potter heir out from under the thumb of Dumbledore. Second, was that law review; I had no idea that such reviews were available. I need to look further into that, might be a future benefit that the other account managers are overlooking."

When he paused longer than was necessary, she tugged on his nightshirt, "Well? What was the third bright spot to your day?"

With a playful growl of his own and a glint in his eye, he rolled over and pulled her into his arms, "The clock hasn't struck midnight, the day's not over…"

* * *

**Hogwarts**

The Weasley Twins were in a bit of a pickle. The whole school was laughing and while that would be normally a thing to celebrate, the subject of the mirth was the Twins themselves and they had no clue as to who pulled off this masterful prank.

The morning had started normally, nothing amiss. They scanned their wardrobe and toiletry items for charms and spells like normal (after all, it was just good safety practices) but they'd all come up clean. They'd bathed, dressed and grabbed their books like normal and headed out of the Gryffindor common room to the Great Hall for breakfast.

The moment they crossed the threshold is when it happened…

There was a flash of light and a puff of pink smoke and they were now wearing the frilliest, most girliest dresses in existence! Ribbons and bows, crinolines and sashes, the two boys were now looking like something out of those Jane Austen books the girls in their Quidditch team were always talking about! The whole hall was dying laughing at their predicament. The Twins realized that they couldn't even eat breakfast like they normally would as it would leave them exposed in rather unmentionable places!

With the end of breakfast and the surprise (and relief) that their clothes slowly reverting back to their normal appearance, the boys got up and cautiously exited the hall. They managed to get out and breathed a sigh of relief that the transformation (and humiliation) was over.

They thought wrong…

* * *

Every classroom they went into caused another change. Sometimes it was girly dresses like the ones in the Great Hall, other times it was something so short and scandalous that they prayed that their mother would never see them (heaven help them if someone were to take pictures!) Entering Professor Flitwick's classroom saw their clothes transfiguring into something that the muggleborns would recognize as the sort of thing that Elton John would wholeheartedly approve of.

Potions class was the worst of all.

When they entered, there was the now expected puff of smoke and when it cleared; their clothes now had a message that was guaranteed to snark off Snape: "Snape can go suck it." No one had a clue what that meant but it definitely had the intended effect. Worse still was the message when it changed one last time:

"I pranked the Weasley Twins."

* * *

_**Teacher's staffroom at the end of the day…** _

When Severus entered the room, he heard laughter. That put a bit of a sneer onto his face, laughter whenever he entered a room was never a good thing; not even in the teacher's lounge. He turned when he heard his name being called.

"Severus! Glad you're here. How'd you like today's entertainment?" inquired a perpetually cheerful Flitwick.

Severus had to think for a moment as to what the other man was referring to then it dawned on him. The humiliation of the Weasley Twins. _That_ put a true smile on his face.

"It was epic, especially that final message on their shirts. The look on their faces was a memory I shall treasure for the rest of my days. I'd love to know who it is that had the temerity to tackle such a monumental challenge and _succeed_ at doing so." He replied as he accepted his cup of tea from Pomona, "Granted, I was rather upset at the message that preceded it. You know, the one that said I could go 'suck it' whatever that meant."

Minerva entered and sighed as she settled into her chair. She glanced around at her colleagues and sighed, "Okay, what happened?"

"The Weasley Twins got pranked today."

"…"

"Minerva?" Pomona leaned over and patted her hand, "Are you okay?"

Minerva blinked like her mythological namesake once, twice then took a shuddering breath, "Say…say that again?"

Flitwick laughed, Severus grinned while the others shook their heads.

Pomona said it again, "The Weasley Twins got pranked. We don't know who did it; all we know is that it seems to be the same person or persons that managed it last time. None of the portraits saw anything, nor did the elves I spoke to. The wards indicate that no one entered the Lion's den who wasn't authorized but yes, Fred and George Weasley were pranked."

Minerva pouted, "And I missed it! Blast that meeting, Albus could've gone in my place but he had that IWC meeting of his own," she straightened up in her chair, "Tell me. Tell me everything!"

* * *

_**Hufflepuff Common Room…** _

When Pomona got back to the Badger's Hole, she paused for a moment to survey the goings-on with her charges. She could see the various years either helping each other with homework, writing letters, chatting with each other or other activities. She mentally laughed at Harry Potter who was ensconced with a couple of the seventh years. He clearly had been pulled into their group against his own volition given the look on his face. The girl in question was trying in vain to comb his hair into something of a resemblance of order. Pomona wished the girl good luck, there was a reason why the Potter hair was so recognizable. One student, sitting on one of the couches in the upper tiers in particular wasn't really doing much and yet there was something in the child's face that suggested they were lost in thought.

Making her way over, Pomona settled onto the couch and tapped the girl on her arm, "Miss Granger? Is there a problem?"

Hermione's mirthful eyes slid over to her Head of House and a slight gasp of realization escaped her, Pomona now _knew_ who it was that pranked the Twins.

"How?" she whispered, "How did you do it?"

A small, sly grin grew on Hermione's face, "Professor Sprout, I'm sure I have no idea as to what you're referring to." _'Oh, yeah, this was definitely setting off Pomona's alarm bells.'_

Sitting forward and gazing over the rest of the crowd but not really seeing them, Pomona whispered, "In that case, what did you _allegedly_ do?" She knew how to play this game.

Hermione shifted and let out a satisfied burble of a laugh, "I may or may not have pranked the twins again by using the one source of help that everyone always overlooks."

Pomona thought for a moment, pondering over Hermione's words then it dawned on her: the elves.

"Nice going, using your resources. How'd did you get their help?"

Hermione buffed her nails on her shirt, "They're just as tired of their antics as is everyone else but they're bound by their own laws that say they cannot incite but merely follow. I gave them the orders, they complied."

Pomona looked puzzled for a moment, "I asked the elves if they'd seen anything but they said no."

Hermione's eyebrow quirked up, "Which elves did you ask?"

"Umm, the ones in the kitchen…"

Hermione sagely nodded, "Ah, but professor, those are not the only elves in the castle."

"Answering like the headmaster is not going to gain you any points, my dear." Hermione broke down and giggled.

"So, tell me. We checked the boys over for any sort of charms or spells but couldn't find anything, how'd you do it?"

Hermione turned her head and looked Pomona in the eyes, "Professor Sprout? What area of magic is my specialty?"

Thinking a moment, it came back to her, "But we didn't see any sort of stitching that would suggest that."

"You would've if you could feel the individual threads. You would've felt the difference between cotton and silk."

Dawning realization slid onto Pomona's face at the sheer brilliance of her student, "And the classrooms were the trigger?"

Hermione nodded and crossed her arms over her chest, "The runes don't have to be big. These were about the size of my thumbnail and set up above the lintel of the door and powered it off the magic of the school itself." She finished with a smug look on her face.

Pomona took a deep breath and let out a long suffering sigh, "I won't say for you to not do it again, just that I wish you well and make sure your pranks don't stray into the vindictive and hurtful range." She patted Hermione on her hand again and left the room.

* * *

_**In Professor Sprout's Office…** _

Pomona activated the internal floo connection and called for Minerva, "Minerva? You got a moment?"

"Aye, I got a few. Just finishing up some grading. What's on your mind?"

"I got some information that you might want to know about; could you take some time and come over?"

"Aye, I'll be stepping through."

Once in and settled in a chair, Pomona rehashed the conversation she'd had with Hermione about the twins. Minerva could only shake her head in amazement and groan, "That girl should've been sorted into Slytherin with such a sneaky plan yet also be sorted into my own house for such daring!"

"It was a beautifully executed plan. I'm sad to admit that I never would've thought to involve the elves in pulling off something like this but it does make sense. Who else do you know of that has such an intimate knowledge of the castle, the ability to make themselves undetectable by even the legendary castle wards and pull something like this off without anyone being the wiser? I think we should do something for them. Maybe a proper uniform with the Hogwarts crest instead of those tea towels they're always wearing? Well, something to think about."

Minerva pondered that for a moment before waving it away, "Aye, something for later. Given her ability in Runes, maybe we ought to consider having her test into the more advanced classes with Bathsheda? I think Miss Granger would be terribly bored with the introductory classes. More to the point, with her talents, I daresay that Bat might offer the girl an apprenticeship! I don't think we've had an apprentice for Runes in a long time. But an apprentice at eleven? I don't think that's been done before."

"She's actually twelve. Miss Granger had a birthday back in September but I get your point. Maybe it's for the best? Shake things up a bit and see what happens?"

The two women began making plans.

* * *

The takedown of the twins was the subject of intense discussion throughout the entire school right up to when it was time to get ready to go home for the holidays. Harry was in the middle of packing his trunk, Neville was busy searching under his bed for any stray bit of clothes or trinkets he may had missed from the first go-around. There was a knock at the door and when bid to enter, Hermione came bouncing into the room.

She plopped herself down on Harry's bed and surveyed the chaos that was taking place, "Is it always this busy in here?"

Harry straightened up from his trunk and groaned as he worked the kinks out of his back, "Nah, just the usual last minute rush of packing. What about you? All done?" She nodded affirmatively, "Cool, do you have any more room in your trunk for some stuff of mine?"

She pursed her lips in thought, "Yes but why are you taking everything? Leave the school stuff and just take your clothes and personal items." Harry glanced down at the pile of textbooks and his cauldron.

"I wanted to show Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon and Dudley what it was that I've been learning these past few months."

"Well, do you really need to take all the parchment, the quills, and the telescope?"

"Hmm, I guess not. Help me choose what else?" he gestured her over.

* * *

After finishing with the packing and dragging their trunks up to the loading area for the elves to take their things to the train, the two of them plus Neville headed to the Great Hall to make up some sandwiches and snacks to eat on the way home. As they were eating, Hermione giggled at the sight of the twins carefully yet quickly making their way into the room and sitting down at their table, constantly and furtively glancing around whilst simultaneously casting detection spells and charms over their food and drink. Neville smirked at the look on her face and casually remarked that it was high time that someone was able to put them in their place. Her sly glance back at him coupled with a slight upturn in the corner of her lips was all the confirmation he needed.

Draco along with Vincent and Greg ambled over and joined the trio for a brief conversation to confirm that Harry's prior invitation to visit during the holidays was approved by his guardians and still on.

"It's going to be fun, you guys. I got a bunch of ideas of things we can do that doesn't involve a single bit of magic."

"Nev, you got your Gran's approval to come by as well, right?" The boy in question nodded happily.

* * *

_**Up at the Teacher's Table…** _

Albus was not a happy camper this year. So many of his plans had completely fallen through, case in point the Sorting of the Potter heir to Hufflepuff. He'd thought his compulsion of the Sorting Hat was a success yet the blasted piece of headwear still went against his wishes! Next was the mending of a relationship between Severus and the boy. They'd supposedly cleared the air of previous assumptions regarding the boy's life and that of his mother and aunt. How had he missed that? The sister, what was her name? Some kind of flower; was infamous in her hatred of magic! All of the letters he'd intercepted between the two Evans girls was evident of that.

Albus glared over at the boy in question, seeing him conversing with the Prophecy Spare and the three Slytherins and mentally shook his head. Nothing good could come from that. Something had to be done…


	13. Chapter 13

**Dursley Household**

"HI HONEY, I'M HOOOOME!" Harry bellowed to an empty house as he and the Dursleys passed through the open door upon their return from the train station. Harry dumped his trunk off at the bottom of the stairs and grandly gestured to everything around him while proclaiming his love and exuberance.

"Ah, electric lighting! How have I missed you! The refrigerator, my old friend. Television, how long has it been?" Harry stopped when he heard snorts of laughter from behind him. Turning his head, he cocked an eyebrow in sardonic amusement at the sight of his relatives trying not to laugh at him. Dudley had his fist shoved in his mouth while his aunt and uncle were merely shaking with barely repressed laughter, Vernon supporting himself on the railing to the stairs.

Throwing his nose into the air all snootily, Harry pompously announced that he was going to take his stuff back to his room. He grabbed the handle of his trunk and began levering it up the stairs. Dudley finally managed to get over mirth and assisted by grabbing the other handle.

Once in his room, they dropped the trunk on the floor and Harry flopped onto his bed with a long-suffering sigh of relief.

Dudley pulled up a chair and hitched a foot on the edge of Harry's desk, "Long ride home? How was it?"

"About what you'd expect from a train ride full of kids. Loud, kind of cramped but still a bunch of fun. It still amazes me that with all of their magical abilities, the operators of the train left in the narrow passageways of those carriages. You've seen the space-expanded bags and trunks; why couldn't they do that with the train and give us some wider hallways?" Harry looked over at his cousin, "You're looking good, I see. Still doing the Tai Chi? Did you have fun at that school of yours?"

Dudley smirked and nodded slowly, "Yeah, but it's been tough. Smelting's is a good school but it's not like primary. Tougher standards and all, plus my roommates look at me funny when I start my exercises."

Harry looked puzzled, "Even after all this time? You've been going there since September; they're _still_ looking at you funny?"

Dudley picked at his fingernails, "A couple still do. The rest finally started to ignore it." He gave a shiver and got up, "Well, mum said that you need to empty your clothes out and get them into the washer before anything else."

Harry grabbed Dudley by the arm before he could leave, "Dudley? Is there a problem?"

Dudley saw the concern in Harry's eyes and smiled, "Nah, it's okay. I've already told Dad and he'll deal with it. So, c'mon! Let's see the magic!"

Harry grinned and pulled his wand.

* * *

Dinner that evening was full of stories about the children's respective schools. Dudley was doing well with his studies, had made the school's cross-country track team and had even begun teaching a few others in the art of Tai Chi. Harry demonstrated some of the spells and charms he'd learned and kept them all in snorts of laughter and shaking of heads as he expounded upon some of the pranks pulled against the Weasley Twins as well as the rest of the school.

"So, it turns out that there is a statue at the base of the Grand Staircase where if you shake its hand, the stairs will revert to their original starting points. Then depending on which way you turn the statue's head determines which way the stairs will start moving again. It was hilarious! Professor McGonagall had gotten trapped on the stairs between levels three and four, they returned to their starting point, and when it seemed like they were going to get going again; the stairs turned in the opposite direction!

Petunia was chuckling at the sound of that. She vaguely remembered the strict professor from Lily's letters. She glanced over at Vernon who was busy eating and stage-whispered, "I think we should tell him."

Harry's face perked up, "Tell me what?"

Vernon swallowed his bite of food and gestured with his fork, "That Goblin account manager of yours was apparently very grateful for that law review we sent him regarding medieval guardianship laws. So much so, Daggerclaw wants to award me with some sort of title or whatever. Anyways, with the information he gleaned from it; your aunt now has the power to get your courts to award custody of you to her."

Harry still looked puzzled and cocked his head a bit in confusion, "So what does that mean?"

"It means that there will be a hearing within your government that deals with family services and child welfare. We will submit the documentation, the judge will review it and with any luck it will be approved. I was told that it's mostly just procedural paperwork involved. I do want you to be ready to go down there if necessary. The hearing will take place on Friday so make sure that your nice clothes are washed and ironed, okay?" Harry nodded his understanding.

"Will we be driving there or taking magical transport?"

Petunia cleared her throat, "Driving. I remember what that magical bus was like the one and only time I took it and absolutely refuse to get back on that deathtrap."

"When did you take a ride on the Knight Bus?" Dudley asked his mum.

Petunia thought for a moment, "It was before you were born and after Lily and I had reconciled. I forget where we were going but she suggested the ride." Petunia shuddered, "Never again." At their interested looks, "It's like going on a roller coaster but without any safety straps."

* * *

After dinner was spent in his room digging through his trunk. Harry's clothes were in the wash so now it was time to pull everything else out and see what needed to be restocked or replaced. Dudley was sitting opposite of him and examining one of the Charms essays.

"Boy, the teachers sure do love giving out essays, don't they?" Dudley remarked to which Harry just grunted his reply as he opened up his supply of staples before reaching over and grabbing a new box from his desk.

"Where's Hedwig?"

Harry peered out the window briefly, "Probably out hunting, if not reclaiming her territory from the other owls that probably moved in after we both left."

Dudley grinned at a mistake he spotted in one of Harry's essay answers, "Is it true that she's the queen of the parliament at Hogwarts?" Harry proudly puffed up at the memory.

"Yup, it's funny to watch the smaller owls hop out of her way as fast as they can." He peered over at his cousin, "Dudley? What happened at school that had you so down earlier?"

Dudley shrugged unconcernedly, "I was being bullied for about a week or so. I wrote home and Dad came down to speak with the headmaster. I dunno what was said or anything but my room assignment was changed and the kid that was bullying me was removed from the school."

"So that has you so down? I would've figured that you'd be happier about it."

Dudley made a face, "Not so much down, more embarrassed. I couldn't handle my problems so daddy came to bail me out."

Harry shifted spots and leant up against Dudley, "You had a problem and you solved it. You shouldn't be embarrassed by calling in a higher authority. I would've done the same," he clapped Dudley on the shoulder, "C'mon, I got some potions I want to show you."

* * *

_**The next morning…** _

Harry reveled in the fact that he was home. Breakfast was a lively affair more so because he got to spend it in his favorite cowboy pajamas and bare feet; something he couldn't do at Hogwarts. After the dishes had been rinsed and loaded into the dishwasher, it was time to show off everything he'd learned the past three months. With Petunia's help, he arranged the dining room table by subject and began pointing things out.

"Okay, first we'll start with Transfiguration. This subject, according to Hermione, is very similar to magical engineering wherein we're taking one thing, call it 'Object A' and turning it into another thing, 'Object B.' Our first lesson was on how to turn a matchstick into a needle. According to our teacher, the purpose is to train our minds and magic in basic transformation. History of the spell is kind of foggy but supposedly, a seamstress was at a wedding and the bride ripped her dress. Without any tools on hand, the seamstress figured out how to transform a candle wick into a needle and fixed the dress. Later, when matches became more abundant, they were used instead of the candle wicks."

"Neat trick; must come in handy for life's little emergencies," Petunia murmured as Vernon examined the newly created needle.

"I wonder if you could do the same thing with drill bits," he pondered then glanced up at Harry who took a new matchstick, thought for a moment and transfigured it into a thin 1/16" drill bit, complete with sharpened tip and flutes. He grinned proudly at his uncle who merely looked on in surprise.

Harry continued his demonstration, "Astronomy is kind of obvious. We looked through our scopes and saw the various stars and planets in the night sky. Next up is Charms which can be equated to a sort of magical physics class. Some of the charms we learned are 'Wingardium Leviosa' which gives an item flight, 'Locomotor' which gives the item motion, and 'Incendio' which lights the item on fire."

"But Harry," Vernon interjected, "If you know how to turn a matchstick into a needle, can't you do the reverse and not have to bother with using magic to start a fire?" Harry shook his head.

"You'd have to know what makes up the chemicals on the end of the matchstick and I seriously doubt that your average witch or wizard knows that." Vernon allowed for that and motioned for Harry to continue.

"Next up is Defense but we really haven't learned much in this class, practically speaking. It's mostly just book work because our professor can barely speak with the amount of stuttering he has. It's guaranteed you'll leave his class with a migraine and have the stench of garlic following you out of the room."

"Gross," complained Dudley as he made a face, "Garlic?"

Harry shrugged, "He said that it was to ward off vampires he encountered during his sabbatical in Eastern Europe but why he needs it there in Scotland is anyone's guess. So, moving on we have History of Magic…"

* * *

Dinner prep one evening brought up an interesting conversation…

"Harry? With all the magic that you've been displaying the past few days, why is it that you've not received any letters from the Ministry admonishing you? I remember Lily getting one such letter," Petunia asked as she peeled the potatoes over the sink.

Harry didn't even pause in his now expert chopping of the lettuce into bite-sized pieces, "Probably because I owled the Improper Use of Magic Office to let them know in advance that I'd be showing off my relatives what I'd learned in the previous term. They sent back a thank you letter for letting them know beforehand. Apparently, most children don't do that and that leaves them scrambling to make sure no one that isn't in the know has their memory modified. "

Petunia smiled at her thoughtful nephew, "Good thinking, Harry."

* * *

Friday rolled around and by that time Harry had fully immersed himself back into living like a muggle. He'd called Hermione the day they'd gotten home to let her know that he and the Dursleys were safe and sound and that he'd see her the day after Christmas when Draco, Neville, Vincent and Greg would arrive. He and Dudley had gone to the Two Rivers Shopping District to hang out and take in a movie or two before hitting the arcades.

Harry had finished what holiday homework he'd been given in Potions and Defense on his own while took his Herbology homework to Petunia so she could help him with identifying some of the pictures. In reality he could've easily done it on his own but he wanted to include his aunt in this new life as much as possible.

That morning saw Harry dressed in his Sunday best in preparation for the custody hearing against Dumbledore. His palms were starting to sweat in his panic that it would all go wrong and things would get worse back at school. He made his way downstairs and into the living room where Dudley was already waiting and reading a book.

"Hey, Dud. Reading something good there?" Harry asked as he sank onto the sofa.

Dudley dispiritedly grunted as he sounded out a word then picked up a pencil and underlined the offending word. He gave up after a few more minutes and sank back, "Hey Harry. Yeah, it's my text from school I have to read to help me get over my dysgraphia. If I get a word that holds me up, I'm supposed to underline it and have mum, dad or my teacher help me sound it out."

Harry nodded his understanding, "Are you able to get most of the words?"

"Yup, though some of the bigger words throw me sometimes."

Harry chuckled, "Be glad you're not in Hogwarts. Most of the spells there are in Latin and the bulk of the library books are written in old English."

Dudley made a face at that, "Then how are you supposed to read them?"

"There's an enchanted shelf at the librarian's desk where you put the text you want on one side and a blank piece of paper on the other. You then tap your wand on the blue square and it copies and translates the text into modern English. It's probably the most modern thing that could compare to muggle technology they have there."

Petunia came in fixing up her earring and stopped to visually confirm that the boys were ready, "Okay you two. Vernon's got the car ready so if you're ready as well, let's get going. Traffic's probably going to be a nightmare."

* * *

Traffic was a nightmare but they still made it to the Westminster area of London on time. Harry peered around and spotted the distinctive red K6 telephone box Petunia had mentioned on the ride down. He pointed it out and with a bit of effort, they all got into the enclosure.

Vernon picked up the phone, consulted a scrap of paper, and picked up the receiver to dial the numbers '62442.' There was a halo of golden light that surrounded the box and a clear woman's voice emanated from the speaker, "Welcome to the Ministry of Magic Visitor's Entrance. Please state the name of the persons wishing to enter and your destination."

"Vernon Dursley, Petunia Dursley, Dudley Dursley, and Harry Potter are here to visit the Department of Wizarding Family Services for a custody hearing."

"Thank you. Visitors; please affix the name tags to your clothing and be prepared to present your wands to the Welcome Desk. Thank you and have a pleasant day." Four name tags spilled out of the coin return.

With that, the kiosk began to sink into the ground. It grew dark except for the light within the box but a moment later, a pool of warm light entered at their feet and continued to grow as the kiosk sank through the floor and into the Atrium for the Ministry of Magic.

When they disembarked, the group of four took a moment to take in the grandeur of the Atrium. The ceiling towered above and was littered with stars and runes that seemed to dance across. Messages were splayed out on one wall announcing teasers of the day's news and other advertisements before resolving themselves into the next announcement.

Vernon finally grunted something about getting this hearing done with so they could get home in time. What that meant was anyone's guess but they hurried over to a desk that proclaimed to be the Visitor's Welcome Witch.

A pleasant looking witch smiled as they approached and greeted them, "Welcome to the Ministry of Magic! If you would be so kind as to hand over your wands to get weighed and tell me where you're headed, I'll get you squared away right proper."

Vernon cleared his throat, "My wife, son and I don't have wands. My nephew does though."

The Welcome Witch looked briefly concerned but let it pass. Her gaze quickly found Harry and she let out a gasp, "Harry Potter?"

"Yes, ma'am. Here's my wand." He held out the stick and let the witch take it. She placed it on a silver tray and tapped a button. There was a whirring sound and puff of smoke before a small receipt appeared.

The witch glanced at it and read it back to him, "Ten and one-quarter inches of Canarywood. Twin core of Ostrich feather and horn shavings from a Horned Serpent? Been in use for less than a year?" He nodded at the recital. "Very good then. Here's your wand back and a copy of the receipt. Now, where are you all heading?"

"The Department of Wizarding Family Services, I told that to the person who answered the telephone box thing," Vernon grumped; He hated repeating himself.

An understanding look washed over her face, "I understand, sir and I'm sorry. That box is automated and is used as the first line of screening the muggles who might stumble across the telephone to begin with." She handed them a map and directions to the lifts.

* * *

**The Department of Wizarding Family Services**

Unlike the Atrium, the DWFS was not lavish or ornately decorated. Instead, the walls and ceiling were painted a soothing cream color with blue low pile carpeting. There were actual flying paper airplanes swooshing through the air going in and out of different offices. Petunia had quietly commented that if it weren't for the magical paper airplanes, you'd never know that you were in a magical setting.

"Greetings, welcome to the Department of Wizarding Family Services. How might I help you?" asked the secretary.

Vernon stepped up, "Yes, we're here for the custody hearing between ourselves and Harry Potter. Our Goblin Account Manager said that our barrister would be waiting for us here." He consulted with the sheaf of documents briefly, "A Mr. Theodore Tonks?"

The secretary quickly glanced over at Harry who was at that moment examining a fish tank with Dudley before she turned back to Vernon and smiled pleasantly, "Of course, sir and madam. I'll send him a message and let him know that you've arrived. Please have a seat."

It only took a moment for the barrister, Mr. Theodore "Call me Ted" Tonks, to arrive after the message was sent. He greeted all four and ushered them into his office where he took the packet of documents from Vernon and began to examine them.

"Yes… yes… ah good. Okay, this is complete… good. Okay, Mr. and Mrs. Dursley everything seems to be properly filled out so let me tell you what's going to happen in the courtroom. It's very similar to what happens in a muggle courtroom. There's a table for us and the opposing side, the magistrate sits at the top of the table and a bailiff near the door in case things become heated. The magistrate will have already reviewed the original filing and ask both sides questions. Depending on the answers, he or she will make their decisions. There will be time for an opening statement and a rebuttal as well as questioning for the child or children at the center of this hearing. Just answer truthfully and without elaborate prose and you'll do just fine. Are you ready?" With four nervous responses to the positive, they headed to the courtroom.

* * *

**Courtroom Four: Custody Hearing for Harry James Potter; Dursley v Dumbledore**

The Dursleys, Ted Tonks and Harry Potter entered their designated courtroom and got set up at their table. Ted was busy laying out the documentation and his notes while Harry was nervously picking at his fingernails. Petunia reached over and brushed her fingers through his perpetually messy hair, both to settle their nerves and to give herself something to do. Harry leant into her embrace and closed his eyes. A short moment later the magistrate, the Honorable Walter Trentcort, entered and pointedly looked over at the table where Dumbledore should've been sitting at but had yet to arrive.

"Well, that's one point against the defendant, I would wager," the magistrate gruffed, "Shall we at least go through the usual official openings so no one gets pinged later?" That was Ted's cue to begin his opening statement.

"My Lord, my clients are charging for the change in custody of one Harry James Potter from the clearly incompetent 'care' of Albus Dumbledore to that of his maternal aunt Petunia Dursley nee Evans and her family. Our records will show that Mr. Dumbledore never spoke with Mr. and Mrs. Dursley on the night of November 1st, 1981 when he dropped infant Harry onto their doorstep without so much as a by-your-leave." (That caused the magistrate's eyebrows to rise sharply.)

"Additionally," Ted continued, "Not once during those intervening years has Mr. Dumbledore put in an appearance at the Dursley household to inquire about Mr. Potter's well-being."

Just then Albus Dumbledore strode into the room wearing an outfit that would've put Elton John to shame. He gave his patented 'grandfatherly smile' to everyone in the room, pulled his wand and conjured a plush chintz armchair and settled in to watch the proceedings. The magistrate however was _NOT_ amused.

"Mr. Dumbledore! You will remove that gaudy piece of junk from my courtroom and sit in the chairs provided. On top of that, you are late! There had better be a worthwhile excuse especially since we are here to discuss your worthiness to continue to be Mr. Potter's guardian, which at this moment is looking less likely by the second."

Albus frowned, whether at being yelled at like an errant schoolboy or for someone daring to challenge his perceived right to be the lad's guardian. He cleared his throat and said, "My apologies, Walter…"

"That's Magistrate Trentcort to you, _Mister Dumbledore!_ "

"…yes, of course Magistrate Trentcort. As I was saying, I disapprove of the attempts by the Dursleys to wrest control of my care and guidance for young Harry here. I can hardly believe that they are capable of raising a magical child…"

"Yet, that is where you left him just over ten years ago, isn't it?" countered Ted who then handed over the financial records to the bailiff who in turn handed it over to the magistrate, "Those financial records will show that not one knut was deposited or even converted over to the muggle currency into the Dursley bank accounts to help offset the sudden drain from raising their nephew."

Albus gave him a baleful glare, "If I may continue? I can hardly believe that they are capable of raising a magical child given how they are just muggles. I was forced to leave him in their care at the time simply because it was the only option. I left monitors in place to make sure the boy would be healthy and safe as well as certain wards to make sure no one with ill-intent or the Dark Mark could enter the property."

The magistrate pursed his lips and gave Albus an eerily similar look that Minerva usually gave him or anyone else whenever they were being untruthful. It was so similar that it caused shivers to run down Albus' spine.

"Mister Dumbledore, did you get permission from the homeowner to place these wards on the property?"

"Um…well, no…"

"Do you have a record as to the rune and enchantment arrays used in the making of said wards?"

"Why would I need that? I'm the one who put them in," Albus stammered.

Ted gave the old man a predatory grin, "I have a certified memory and documentation of the wards in question given by a Gringott's cursebreaker. Let the record show that a number of questionable if not downright illegal and immoral layers were put in place." He handed over said sheaf of documents as well as the memory vial. The magistrate took possession and dumped the memory into the courtroom pensieve and played it back for all to see. The results were shocking to say the least…

* * *

Harry watched in fascination as he watched the cursebreaker move through their property as seen through the Goblin's eyes. While he couldn't begin to understand the runes and enchantments on something called the 'wardstone' it was clear that the magistrate and Ted were incredibly upset by what was found.

"In summary, the property is surrounded by blood wards that are linked and powered by Mr. Harry Potter's magical core. Additionally, there are the wards that keep anyone with ill-intent and the Dark Mark from entering the property line. There is evidence of a Hate Inducement charm built in and targeted at the Dursley family to be triggered in the presence of Mr. Potter. However that charm appears to have been scratched out, either by incompetence or by someone or something digging around in the soil of the garden where the wardstone was placed. An owl mail redirection ward with the contents of the magical mail being sent to another undisclosed location; which has been altered to allow Mr. Potter's owl into the premises. There also is a failed enchantment to keep Mr. Potter from performing his best in school and making friends with other children."

There were a couple of Gringott's disclaimers at the end before the memory finished and faded away.

* * *

Dumbledore tried many different ways to prove that custody of Harry should remain with him, he even trotted out the tired line of it being for 'the Greater Good' but no one was budging. He tried in vain to suggest that it was the Wizengamot of the time who appointed him magical guardian over young Mister Potter. Ted countered with the updated Potter Family Will that stated that first in line to be the boy's guardian was to be Sirius Black. Albus interjected by saying that Mr. Black was sentenced to Azkaban for the crimes of murdering the elder Potters, Peter Pettigrew and 12 muggles.

"Really," Ted replied sardonically, "Then explain to the court how that would be possible? He would've been dead long before he was able to do all that since at the time of Mr. Potter's birth, Sirius Black underwent the 'Godfather Oath Ritual' which would've caused him to instantly die should he plot and successfully carry out said betrayal. I have the certified records from Gringotts where the ritual took place." Albus paled dramatically at that.

"Petunia Dursley is just a mere muggle…" Albus tried next.

Ted provided documentation from Saint Mungo's certifying that Petunia Dursley nee Evans was not a muggle as everyone believed but in fact was a Squib with a Magical Index Number just a couple of points shy as recording her as a full witch.

Additionally, Ted brought out a certified copy of the Potter Family Vault audit which showed conclusively that Albus had been stealing nearly 1.2 million Galleons from Harry, several heirloom artifacts, used properties both on British soil and abroad for his own personal vacation time as well as using Harry's name to proxy many laws in the Wizengamot without Harry's input nor that of his family. The records from Gringotts also showed that much of that money stolen from Harry was used to bribe or generally influence laws Albus did or didn't want to have happen, most of which were against the influx of muggleborn children and the eroding of traditions and classes usually taught at Hogwarts like Ritual Magic and Wizarding Studies, specifically etiquette and customs.

As a piece de resistance, Ted submitted into evidence from the school nurse, Poppy Pomfrey, that Albus routinely used compulsion and obliviation charms on Harry to get the boy to enter a forbidden third floor corridor.

"Just what is in that corridor that you warned everyone to stay away from yet compelled Mr. Potter to enter?" Magistrate Trentcort inquired.

Albus drew himself up and stated in an imperious tone that he was not at liberty to say as it was 'too dangerous to let the details out at this time and that if the information got to the wrong people, there'd be unfortunate consequences.'

Surprising to all present, Harry's pocket began to emit a shrill whistle and began vibrating. He pulled out his wand and it immediately cast a spell over those present. Everyone glowed a pale yellow briefly before a sickly green enveloped Dumbledore.

"Mr. Potter? What are you doing?" Magistrate Trentcort sternly inquired.

Harry's eyes were wide and he shook his head, "I dunno, sir. I didn't cast anything; my wand is doing this on its own!"

Taking a breath to calm himself, Magistrate Trentcort asked Harry what he was thinking right before the wand reacted.

"I was wishing that the headmaster would just tell the truth and wished to magic itself if there was a way to make it apparent that he was lying."

Trentcort nodded and called for a ten minute recess so an Unspeakable could come up and examine Harry's wand.

* * *

The grey-shrouded Unspeakable arrived a few moments later and took Harry's wand. They cast their own diagnostic charms (Harry watching intently as it _was_ advanced magic and therefore interesting) before handing the wand back and giving into evidence their results that Harry's wand did in fact cast the 'Truth Spell' but that it was tempered by being cast using 'wish magic' as opposed to the usual intent-based magic.

"So for the record, Mr. Potter is not at fault for the casting?" The magistrate asked the Unspeakable.

"No, I would certify that he is in the clear." Trentcort thanked and dismissed the Unspeakable, "Since we've been able to witness, Albus Dumbledore is guilty of lying to the court and it begs the question as to why but since that line of questioning is beyond the scope of this hearing, I will instead put it down in the records for the DMLE to investigate further.

In the end it was the ruling of the court that Albus Dumbledore was guilty of incompetence in the execution in the care of Harry James Potter, guilty of theft of monies and personal properties of said child and ordered to repay restitutions back into the Potter Family Vault as well as the prompt return of all artifacts, properties and proxies to the newly instated magical guardian, Petunia Dursley nee Evans. On top of that, Albus was barred from ever being alone with Mr. Potter for any length of time regardless of location. If any of the artifacts or properties were altered in any way by Albus, he was ordered to remove said alterations or pay from his own vault to have those alterations removed.

* * *

**Dursley Residence**

The family of four celebrated their win over the old manipulative headmaster by going out to dinner at a fairly swanky restaurant before getting home and disappearing into their respective rooms to rest and recover.

Harry was lying in bed when there was a quiet tap on his door. He called for whomever it was to enter and saw his aunt standing there with a pensive look on her face.

"Aunt Petunia? What's wrong?"

Petunia sat down at his desk and pursed her lips, "I'm wondering if we should let you continue at that school of yours or keep you here and just hire tutors. I'm worried that Dumbledore would try to do something stupid while you're there."

Harry sat up and thought about that, "Maybe… maybe we should inform my Head of House as well as the Deputy Headmistress of what transpired? Invite both here so they can be told together so there's no misunderstanding?"

Petunia sat there and stared thoughtfully at Harry before nodding her head, "I think that's a good idea. Why don't you and I write up that letter and you can send it off with Hedwig?"

* * *

Minerva McGonagall and Pomona Sprout arrived on the Dursley residence doorstep two days later. Both were more or less appropriately dressed to be seen in the muggle world. Both were ushered in by Dudley who led them into the living room and invited to sit.

"Would you care for any tea?" he asked politely; both accepted his offer.

When he returned with the tea service, he saw that Harry was there and keeping the professors entertained. His parents entered a moment later and began the explanations as to why they were summoned. The story didn't last very long, it was stated without fanfare or elaborate prose but it did cover everything that needed to be stated especially the parts where Albus was banned from being alone in the same room as Harry and the part of the restitutions he was ordered to make. Needless to say, both witches were angry at their boss for attempting to do all the things he was clearly guilty of.

"I too, should be ashamed of the actions taken that night back in 1981, Mr. and Mrs. Dursley," Minerva began, "I had been ordered to observe your family all day and report to Albus my findings. I repeatedly stressed my misgivings that you weren't the right sort to be raising Harry but he ignored me, as usual. I am glad to see that you were in fact, the _right_ sort to be raising Harry but still… if only I had the brains to knock on your door and talk with you instead of just watching through a window."

Petunia and Vernon accepted her apology and suggested that she get herself checked out at Saint Mungo's for any lingering charms and whatnot seeing as how the headmaster had no problem putting them on people. Pomona promised them that she would be taking extra care to monitor the school situation until it was clear that Albus wasn't going to try something stupid again and to inform the Dursleys if there were any problems.

* * *

**Christmas morning**

There was a noise like a runaway freight train as Harry and Dudley stampeded down the stairs in their mad effort to be first into the living room where the presents were stacked. Petunia watched from her vantage point in the kitchen and laughed lightly to herself when Harry grabbed the first present only for it to crumble in his hands.

"What the…" he exclaimed as he picked up the wrapping paper and discovered that there was nothing inside. Dudley made for another present and he too, discovered that the so-called 'present' was in fact nothing but empty air!

"Mu-uuum!" Dudley yelled, "Someone's gone and stolen our presents!"

That was it for Petunia who started laughing her head off. Vernon came in and chuckled at the sight of his son and nephew surrounded by yards of wrapping paper posing as Christmas presents.

"Looks like that was money well spent, Petunia. That prank worked beautifully!" He gave his wife a peck on her cheek.

Both boys grumbled about 'unfair adults and their lame ideas as to what constituted a prank' before perking up at the sight of the actual gifts hidden behind the sofa that Petunia was now bringing out.

* * *

Harry was pleased at this year's haul. He got the usual clothing from his aunt and uncle, an illustrated book on advanced Tai Chi exercises from Dudley, a new set of wood carving tools from Hermione and a variety package of magical seeds from the Longbottom Greenhouses courtesy of Neville. Then his sights were turned to the large box addressed to him from the Department of Wizarding Family Services. Inside were a bunch of clearly shrunken boxes, a ledger and a neatly wrapped cloak. The enclosed letter explained via itemized list in the ledger as to what was being returned and what, if any, alterations had been made by Dumbledore. Curious as to why a cloak was something to be so carefully handled, he picked it up and swung it over his shoulders. He was startled by the sudden scream from his aunt.

"Harry?! Where did you go? Are you still here?" Petunia rushed out as she leapt from her chair, hands reaching for the last known location of her nephew. The relief was evident on her face as she made contact but soon morphed into confusion then dawning realization as to what happened.

"Vernon? I think this is that invisibility cloak Daggerclaw listed in that audit months ago. Harry, let me have that." Harry took off the cloak and handed it over. He picked up the ledger and read off what had been altered.

"It says here that a new line of stitching had been put in near the collar. It was a tracking charm tied to Dumbledore's glasses so he could always know where I was. Huh, it also says here that the cloak itself is over seven hundred years old… wow. At least that's what I think that means. It says the cloak was made in the 13th century."

"Close enough," Vernon commented as he examined the cloak and noted how despite the age of the material, it felt like it was still brand new. They put it aside and began extracting the rest of the shrunken boxes and reading their labels. Most contained books of various subjects, one contained pictures. Harry quickly retrieved his wand from his room and unshrunk the box with the pictures. Inside were not pictures like the ones on the fireplace mantel or the walls of their house. These were actual portraits of all sorts of people.

"Harry? I think these are magical portraits of members from the Potter family," Petunia said in a hushed awe.

* * *

**The Day After Christmas**

Unfortunately, they weren't able to get the portraits to respond to anything as was stated in the enclosed letter. Apparently they needed to be attached to the walls of a magical house so Petunia and Vernon put the portraits back in the box and stored the lot safely in the attic. The rest of the day was spent getting ready for Harry's guests to arrive the next morning.

Promptly at eleven am, Harry's guests in the form of Draco, Greg, Vince and Neville appeared in the backyard courtesy of the violent swirl of magical energy via a Portkey. Hermione had shown up earlier and so was on hand to greet the newcomers and let Harry know that they'd arrived.

"Hey, guys! Welcome to Casa de Dursley! I'll be your host for the next three days so if there's any questions you have, feel free to ask."

"Um, should we remove our shoes?" Neville asked nervously.

Harry thought for a moment before agreeing, "Probably a good idea, you might've stepped in something before traveling."

Draco scoffed, "Like that would be the case at my home."

Harry led the group into the living room after pointing out where the kitchen and dining room was. All the magical kids were rather impressed by how homely and comfortable the décor and atmosphere was, especially Draco who commented that everything seemed to fly in the face of what he'd always been told a muggle home was like.

"Okay, so here's your options. One, I can show you to where your rooms will be so you can get changed into something comfortable," Harry suggested while eyeing the high quality yet distinctly wizardry outfits Draco, Vince and Greg were wearing. Neville was wearing something nice as well but wasn't as ostentatious as the other three, "or we can do that later and we'll get started by taking you to our shopping mall?"

Greg looked thoughtful, "What would you recommend? I'm guessing that we'd stand out in a crowd dressed as we are?"

Hermione nodded ruefully, "Definitely need to change. Those outfits would've been suitable for maybe the Victorian era but not these days. You'd be laughed at."

Petunia came in along with Dudley and were introduced to the crowd. She was brought up to speed with the clothing issue and suggested that they wear what they have for now and just buy replacements when they got to the mall.

"You did remember to bring our type of money, right?" Petunia inquired gently.

Both Draco and Neville nodded affirmatively but Greg and Vince kind of sank back into their seats and winced in embarrassment.

Hermione perked up, "Hey, could you guys call for your family elves to make the exchange for you? I'm assuming that your family has elves."

Draco made an impressed face at that idea and nudged his two friends to make the call.

"Elsie!" "Pogo!" Twin pops a moment later heralded the arrival of the two elves.

Greg handed his purse of money to Elsie and requested that she take it to Gringotts and have it exchanged for the equivalent in muggle money; Vince did the same with Pogo. The elves took the purses and popped out.

Petunia clapped her hands together, "Okay, so while we wait for that to happen, why don't you show these boys where they'll be staying?" Harry and Dudley stood while Hermione said she'd be waiting for their return. The boys made their way upstairs and onto the landing where Harry turned to the right and pointed to where his aunt and uncle slept, the bathroom at the end of the hall, the guest room where Vince and Greg would sleep and Dudley's room where Draco would be sleeping before leading them all into his room where Neville would be staying.

The magically raised boys were rather curious at how ordinary Harry's room was compared to what they had in their own rooms back home yet it still had a bit of a magical feeling to it.

"That magical feeling you've got is probably from the ingredients and woods I use in making of my wands," Harry idly commented as Neville dropped his trunk off at the foot of the fold-away bed before leading them off to Dudley's room where Draco left his trunk and to the guest room for Greg and Vince.

* * *

_**Later at the Two Rivers Shopping District…** _

After the reappearance of the elves with the converted money, Harry and crew were loaded into Petunia's car and driven to the shopping center. The ride was the magically raised first clue that this weekend was going to be an eye-opening experience. Draco was curious as to why their car didn't have the crank to start the motor to which Hermione laughed lightly while Harry was left to explain that modern cars hadn't needed a wind-up crank since the turn of the century. The conversation of the development of modern transportation lasted until they pulled up to the parking structure to the mall wherein the magically-raised slid into awed silence as their eyes took in the size of the center.

As Harry led them into the mall proper he commented that while this district was nowhere near as lavish as say Harrods it was still better than some strip malls found alongside the highways. They stopped at the Store Directory to plan out their best route.

"Let's see, clothes…clothes… ah, here we go. I think we should start with Next. TK Maxx might be too low key for this bunch," Petunia mentioned as she looked over the boys who were openly gawking at everything and everyone around them. Once in the store, the boys were led into their department and released for an hour or two.

"I'll be sitting over there by the registers if you need any help," Petunia said before heading off.

* * *

Draco's head was spinning because of the sensory overload he was experiencing. He'd always been taught that everything magically made and sold was inherently better than anything the muggles could scratch together yet here in this clothing store; that presumption was blown out of the water. Racks of quality clothing were for sale in materials, patterns and prints by manufacturers he'd never heard of before. He was clearly out of his element so he turned to Harry for help in selecting some outfits.

"Well, let's see… You'll need at least three pairs of shirts and two pairs of pants. The underclothes you brought with you is fine unless you find something funny like cartoon underpants."

"Cartoon underpants?" Draco asked incredulously.

Harry laughed, "Yeah, that's the sort of thing a kid might wear until they reach the age of 8 but you're behind the curve so we've got to get you up to speed. Ooh, how about this shirt?" He held up a raglan sleeve shirt that had an exploding pattern of different colors on the sleeves. Draco shrugged helplessly so Harry threw it into their cart to decide on later.

Dudley was helping Greg and Vince with their choices while Hermione helped Neville. Neville was rather shy about having a girl help him pick out clothes though.

"Neville? Do you want to just join the others? I won't be offended if I'm making you uncomfortable."

Neville looked up pleadingly, "Promise? I'm sorry that you were dragged into helping me."

She smiled warmly at the boy, "Don't worry about it. I'd probably feel the same way if I were in your position." She patted him on the arm and left to go wait with Petunia while Neville joined up with Dudley.

* * *

After paying for their purchases, Draco and the others changed into their new clothes and left the old ones with Petunia. She told them that they were free to head wherever they wanted and that she'd be waiting for their return at the coffee shop. Harry once more consulted the store directory and suggested that they take the complimentary shuttle service to The Entertainer, a toy shop located not too far away.

Before they entered the store, Harry turned to his guests, "Okay, you know what it's like entering Gambol and Japes in Diagon Alley, right? Well, they've got _nothing_ compared to this store. Hang onto your socks, gents…"

The look on their faces was priceless. The store and its contents were brightly lit and packaged, everything was sorted based on age range and all of it was for sale. Greg gravitated towards the Legos while Vincent was drawn to the RC cars. Draco started drooling at the sight of the action figures; Neville was impressed by overall scale and operations of the place.

"Don't worry, Neville. I know just the store for you. It's not as flashy as this place is but it'll be just as interesting for your plant loving nature."

"I'm okay…well, not really. Is this overwhelming feeling like what you experience coming into Diagon Alley?"

Harry made an amused snort and nodded, "Pretty much."

Vince came up and pointed out that the store had a magical section too so they headed over to see what was available. Hermione laughed when she saw the unicorns and assorted 'monsters' on the display shelves.

"How do they get around the Statute, Harry?" Draco asked curiously as he picked up a unicorn plush toy.

"They haven't. These aren't magical in any way. They're just non-animated plush toys that little kids like to play and nap with. Even the so-called 'magic sets' aren't real magic. They're just sleight of hand and illusions."

* * *

They paid for their toy selections and left the store. Draco kept peeking into his bag to make sure he wasn't dreaming and that his bucket of army men was secure. Greg was showing off the Legos set he'd bought to Hermione while Vince was questioning Neville as to why the latter boy didn't get anything.

Neville just shrugged and said that those toys were interesting and all but nothing really appealed to him.

Their next stop was the gardening center Harry had promised. This time it was Neville who stood there, mouth open and eyes glazing over before letting out a gurgling noise of happiness and hurrying inside.

* * *

Their trip to the mall ended with everyone getting something. The magical guests got muggle clothes for the weekend plus a toy of some kind to play with during their downtime and when they got home. Neville had gotten a desktop greenhouse complete with lighting, automatic watering and heating and cooling features. Hermione promised that she'd modify the electronics to accept her rune converter so he could continue to use it at home or school. The stop at the electronics store was another eye-opening experience for the four boys who'd never seen televisions before. The revolutionary concept of live broadcasting of sporting events quickly cemented itself into their imaginations as to what Quidditch would look like if it were played on one of the larger screens while they sat comfortably in their living rooms

Petunia was all smiles listening to their chatter all the way home.

The rest of the weekend was spent in some sort of activity that showcased what the muggle world had to offer. The group went into London to see the sights like Big Ben, The London Eye, The Tower of London and even the museums. Draco was greatly impressed by the art galleries and history museums while Neville had to be practically dragged out of Kew Gardens. Vince and Greg had a blast with the Natural History museum. The group went to the movies and got sick on too much popcorn and fizzy drinks, had lunch at a McDonald's and spent the last day at Thorpe Park.

By the time Draco and the others were scheduled to return home, they were new card-carrying members of the 'Muggles Are Awesome!' club. Hugs, handshakes and multiple thanks were given to Petunia, Vernon and Dudley for allowing them to stay for the weekend to get a taste of what the muggle world was like. Neville was the first to promise to speak with his grandmother about having his hosts over to see what the magical world was like.

* * *

**Hogwarts, Headmaster's Office**

Albus was throwing a temper tantrum the likes of which had never been seen in his office. The portraits were aghast at his behaviors and language. He thundered around the office disparaging the parentage of Petunia and Vernon Dursley, the magistrate and everyone else he could think of. He finally dropped into his chair and popped a lemon drop into his mouth as he contemplated what he should do next to get the brat to conform to the destiny that Albus had planned out for him. The mirror was in place and the rest of the traps were set.

Everything had to go as he'd planned. Even if the brat died, it would be for the Greater Good.


	14. Chapter 14

' _You'd think that Father was forced to let me visit Harry.'_ Draco thought as he passively listened to his father rant and rave about the supposed 'filth' that his precious son was subjected to. He internally rolled his eyes in exasperation before glancing at his mother who also had the look of a long suffering wife faced with an unreasonable husband.

"Did you at least tell the mudbloods and the muggles that their way of life was inferior to ours?" Lucius growled.

"I did not, father. There was no need," Draco replied. He knew how to placate his father. Lucius eventually left the room in a huff and Draco slumped tiredly in his chair.

"Well, that went as about as good as we could've hoped for," his mother Narcissa drily commented. Draco chuckled weakly.

"I know, right? What was he expecting? That I would be able to convert them to our ways? For them to realize that they were in the presence of their masters and bow down at our feet?" Narcissa smirked at my snarky response.

"I expect you were on your best behavior, then?"

"Of course, Mother, I had so much fun. Who knew that the muggles were capable of all so many things?"

Narcissa pulled her chair up to face her son, "So, tell me. Tell me everything from the moment that the Portkey dropped you off."

* * *

**Draco's POV**

"So this is a muggle home? It's a lot more comfortable than I would've thought it'd be like," I commented as I looked around the living room. It wasn't spacious or anything like I was used to but it was comfortable. Everything was clean and tidy, the air clean and fresh. This definitely flew in the face of everything I'd been taught about muggles.

Harry grinned at his friend, "This is just the living room. Why don't we go upstairs and I'll show you where you'll be sleeping this weekend?"

"What do you recommend? I'm guessing that we'd stand out in a crowd dressed as we are?" Vince asked as I nodded in appreciation of that question. ' _This outfit was as close as my mother could manage based on the information in the Muggle Studies textbook they had.'_

Hermione nodded ruefully, "Definitely need to change. Those outfits would've been suitable for maybe the Victorian era but not these days. You'd be laughed at." _'How fast do things change in this world?'_

"The Victorian era?" I asked, "What's that?"

Harry snorted as he spotted Hermione taking a deep breath in preparation for one of her usual (and legendary) long-winded answers.

"The Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign from 1837 to 1901. During the 1840s, men wore tight-fitting, calf length frock coats and a waistcoat or vest. The vests were single- or double-breasted, with shawl or notched collars, and might be finished in double points at the lowered waist. For more formal occasions, a cutaway morning coat was worn with light trousers during the daytime, and a dark tail coat and trousers was worn in the evening. Shirts were made of linen or cotton with low collars, occasionally turned down, and was worn with wide cravats or neck ties. Trousers had fly fronts, and breeches were used for formal functions and when horseback riding. Men wore top hats, with wide brims in sunny weather."

"What about the boys?" I noticed that she hadn't mentioned kids our age.

"You would've been wearing smaller versions of what the adults wore. Knee length britches instead of full trousers, sort of thing."

' _How does she do that? It's almost like Granger was born with a third lung.'_ I wondered. Just then Mrs. Dursley entered along with another boy who was introduced as her son, Dudley, Harry's cousin. A brief conversation was held about our schedule before it was decided that we wear what we had on now and just buy replacement clothing when we got to this…mall.

* * *

When the subject of money came up, I confirmed that I had my money pouch and that the usual Galleons I was used to had been converted to British Sterling. _'Something I'm still getting used to. All those different denominations on the paper and the coins; it's no wonder the muggleborn who come to the magical world find our money so much easier to deal with.'_

"You idiots," I muttered and gave my oldest friends a disappointed glare when they confessed that they'd failed to get their money converted and had to have their elves come and deal with it.

* * *

Harry's aunt made the suggestion that in the meantime, why didn't we all find out where we'd be sleeping and so I got to my feet then followed Harry and Dudley up the stairs. I took in the simple but efficient layout of the communal bathroom, noting that everything wasn't too dissimilar to what they had at Hogwarts and back home. _'Plumbing is plumbing, I guess.'_ Harry demonstrated how to work the shower controls and where the extra bath towels were before leading us to one room where Greg and Vince would be sharing. It was nicely if simply furnished: a queen-sized bed with a thick comforter, a pillow each and a nightstand on either side plus lamps. A dresser and closet finished out the set.

"Where do you light the wick on the lamp, Harry?" I asked, examining the lamp on the nightstand.

Harry smirked as he flicked a tiny nub on the base and the lamp lit up. I swear my eyes must've nearly bugged out of my head. _'I thought the muggles didn't have magic.'_ I cautiously put my hand over the bright, round thing in the center of the pedestal and was stunned to find out that there was barely any heat yet it was bright enough to light up the side of the room I was on. My eyes swung over to my muggle-raised friend with a confused look on my face.

"It's called an 'electric lamp' and it uses electricity to power the light bulb. The light bulb is the thing that's giving off that light. If you're _really_ interested in learning more about electricity, see Hermione."

I laughed at the implied joke.

* * *

"Granger, er… _'Hermione'_ then interjected that I wouldn't be able to carry the lamp into the bathroom with me during the night because it apparently needed to remain plugged into the wall and that I wasn't to worry because the bathroom had its own light. We went back to the bathroom where she showed us where the… light switches…yeah, where they were and how they operated," Draco commented to his mother as he took a sip of a cup of tea that their house-elf brought.

"You've not been there twenty minutes and already I'm itching to see this place myself," Narcissa replied interestedly, "Go on with your story."

* * *

My room, it turned out, was Dudley's. I was surprised to find out that Dudley was a sports fanatic almost as much as I am. The trouble was, I had no clue as to what these sports were nor who the teams and players were either.

"Don't worry too much about that. I don't know much about your sport either so I guess we'll have plenty to talk about when there's not much to do or before we go to sleep." Dudley patted me on the shoulder.

It was a decently appointed room too. Posters on the wall of his favorite sports team, a poster of some singer I'd never heard of; there were books on a couple of shelves and stacked on a wooden desk. I was surprised that he'd some clothes lying around or kicked into corners but there was nothing that really stood out as this being anything other than a normal eleven year old kid's room. The room's walls were painted a sort of off-white and a window that overlooked the front of the house. Finally, there was a cot set up on the opposite side with a small nightstand and lamp as well.

I nodded to myself and thought that this would be plenty comfortable for the weekend.

* * *

After the tour, of which included Harry's room and its well-stocked (at least to my mind) assortment of tools and wood for making crafts (I later found out that Harry crafts wands of all things!), we were ushered out of the house to where an auto-mo-whazzit was sitting in front of the house.

I watched in puzzlement when Harry and Hermione directed us into the backseat of this…car…while Mrs. Dursley got behind the steering wheel.

"Um…Mrs. Dursley? Don't you need to turn a crank to get the…um, what's it called…the motor started?" I asked, unsure of the terminology.

I could hear Hermione laugh lightly from where she was in the back seat. I felt myself get a bit red in the face before Harry calmly explained that modern cars hadn't needed to use a crank since the turn of the century. _'Well, that's one more thing the books got wrong. I'm going to suggest to Mother and Father that we just get rid of all those so-called factual_ 'Muggle Studies' _books.'_

The ride was quick and comfortable. Granted not as lavishly appointed as Father's carriages but still, it was clean and the windows were able to be lowered to let in fresh air. As we approached this large grey structure, I knew that I'd need an appointment to Saint Mungo's for healing of my eyes and face judging by the amount of bugging out my eyes did and the continuous dropping open of my mouth in the face of everything I thought I knew going right out the floo.

* * *

Draco paused in recitation as his father came storming back into the lounge and dropped unceremoniously onto a chair and glowered at Draco. Lucius didn't say anything but merely waved his hand as if he'd been listening in and expected his son to continue. Draco glanced over at his mother who rolled her eyes slightly.

"Anyway, we'd finished parking the car and were studying a map of this mall…"

* * *

There were so many options in this clothing store and in such abundance that Madam Malkins or Twilfitt's would be hard-pressed to match. None of it was custom tailored like he was used to but the sheer variations of sweaters, trousers, shirts and other associated bits and pieces was enough to make even _Pansy_ drool with fashion envy. Mrs. Dursley led us into the store and pointed out where the boys section was before announcing that she would be sitting on a bench in the front of the store. I waved my appreciation and followed Harry and Hermione into this Aladdin's Cave of Clothing Treasure.

My head was spinning after only a few minutes. I'd always been taught that magically produced goods were inherently better yet here was proof that custom tailored was not always the best option. There were prints and patterns of images I'd never heard of. Something called 'Marvel' and 'Iron Man' caught my eye as I held up a long sleeved shirt that featured a human in some kind of armor. Even though this 'Iron Man' was wearing Gryffindor colors, it was still impressive as heck! I was totally out of my element so I turned to my host for his opinion.

"Well, let's see," he said, "You'll need at least three pairs of shirts and two pairs of pants. The underclothes you probably brought with you is fine unless you want to find something funny like cartoon underpants."

"Cartoon underpants?" I ask him.

I can see his face laughing at me even though I'm not looking at him at the moment, "Yeah, that's the sort of thing a kid might wear until they reach the age of 8 but you're behind the curve so we've got to get you up to speed. Oooh, how about this shirt?"

I look over to see him holding up a shirt with oddly shaped sleeves that had an exploding pattern of different colors. I shrugged helplessly so he just dumped it into our cart to decide on later.

* * *

"I'd swear that muggles have their own brand of magic, Mother. There's this type of shirt that's been treated with a muggle version of a potion. The longer you wear it, it starts changing colors depending on where it touches your body. It can even change from someone pressing their hands on it," I exclaimed in a break of my recounting as our elf brought a tray of snacks and more tea.

"So, let's see these clothes, Draco dear," Narcissa inquired curiously. Lucius said nothing but you could tell he was just as curious. Draco jumped up and ran into his room before returning with a bundle of clothes and laid them out on the coffee table.

"Here are the color changing shirts I just mentioned. These are the trousers I got. They're both made from a fabric called 'denim.' I got a green wool sweater and three plain colored t-shirts. I even purchased a pair of shoes."

"Did you not get the…what did you call it? 'Iron Man' shirt?" Narcissa inquired with a tilt in her head as she fingered the fabric of the thermochromic shirt and noted the quality as well as seeing it change colors.

I shook my head, "Nah, the Gryffindor colors would've had me questioned incessantly by my friends. I didn't want to put up with that hassle."

"What did the others get?"

I scrunched my face up in thought, "Vince and Greg both got some denim trousers; Vince's was in black while Greg's was something called 'acid-washed.' They each got a three pack of plain t-shirts like I did. Greg got an orange hooded zippered jacket. I think Hermione called it a 'hoodie' if I recall properly while Vince got a leather 'bomber' jacket. Neither got new shoes. Neville Longbottom bought an olive green colored denim cargo pants that had a lot of pockets on them. He also got three color changing shirts like I did and a reddish rust-colored hoodie."

* * *

Our next stop after wishing Mrs. Dursley a pleasant time at the coffee shop, was one that I'll cherish for the rest of my life. It was a toy shop to put all other magical toy shops to shame. The place was called, 'The Entertainer' and boy was it! From the moment we walked in there were aisles after aisles stuffed with all sorts of different toys based on age, gender and prices. I could feel my higher thought processes shut down from the sensory overload it was experiencing. There was just _so much to look at!_ I wandered up and down the aisles and marveled at the sheer abundance of childish possibility. I steered clear of the pink toned aisles as they were geared for girls and came across one area set aside for figurines.

I was distantly aware of Harry sidling up next to me as I examined a tub containing tiny green army men in various poses and carrying different kinds of weapons (at least I thought they were weapons.)

"Pretty cool, huh? You should see the look on your face."

I turned pleading eyes to my host and whispered, "What if I wanted to buy everything here? There's so much here that I've never seen before. I'm afraid that I might miss something when we leave."

Harry patted me on the back, "Draco, there are stores like this across the country. The employees regularly restock the shelves with the same toys. You won't be missing out; heck you might find something different in another store." My eyes again went wide at the thought that there were hundreds if not thousands of toy stores across muggle Britain.

"Wow…"

* * *

"We finally gathered together to show off what we'd found. Vince said he'd seen a magical section too so we headed over there. Imagine my surprise when he pointed out all sort of creature figurines like dragons, goblins and unicorns!"

"Hmm, maybe the store owner is a muggleborn that left our world?" Narcissa mused. Lucius had finally given up on the pretense that he wasn't interested in the story and was busy examining and lining up the little green army men from the bucket his son had placed on the table.

I shrugged, not knowing how to answer that, "There were other magically inspired toys too. There were soft plush toys that a child could play and nap with, fake wands with stars and tassels on the ends, swords made from something called 'plastic' and board games that revolved around a magical adventure. I didn't get those, I was getting low on funds for the day and well…I really wanted the army men."

"How come they don't move on their own?" Lucius asked as he prodded one of the men with his finger.

"Hermione said that they weren't animated and that we'd have to use our imagination. Same thing for the supposed 'magical toys.' This store even had what muggles viewed as magic. They weren't really but it was still neat to see."

* * *

Our next stop was a greenhouse nursery of all places. I guess that Harry had taken pity on Longbottom since the boy hadn't gotten anything from the toy store. Despite how boring it was in there, he was acting like we were in the toy store. It was actually kind of funny seeing him practically running and bouncing at all the different things for sale to grow plants and the plants themselves. He did get something, I didn't really pay attention to what it was as it came in a box but Longbottom seemed happy. I spotted Hermione whispering to him about some rune modification she could do but tuned it out in favor of this restaurant we just entered.

It seemed that this wonder of wonderful days wasn't over yet. I was about to experience something called 'pizza.'

"Okay, it's simple. You pay per slice so if you pick a topping that doesn't agree with you, you didn't waste your money on a whole pie. They have a wide variety so just tell the server which one you're interested in," Harry explained.

"Which one are you getting, Harry?" I asked as my nose was continuously assaulted by the heavenly aromas.

"I think I'm going to get the pepperoni to start with and a glass of Coke," he informed the server who happily removed a slice of the requested pizza and handed Harry an empty cup. The server turned to me and I stammered out that I'll try what Harry had. I took a sample bite of the pizza and declared right there and then that this was my new favorite food! I followed Harry to the cashier and paid for my food and drink then onto to a dispenser where I was shown how to dispense my own drink. There were a number of choices here too; Coke, Diet Coke, root beer, orange soda, water and lemonade.

* * *

"After we got done with touring the mall, we headed back to the Dursley house to relax and unwind from everything we experienced. I had just put my purchases away when Dudley came into his room and rummaged around in his closet. He pulled out this black and white ball and asked me if I wanted to play some football in the backyard. Naturally, I didn't have a clue as to what football was but I agreed and followed the larger boy to the grassy yard. He demonstrated some basic moves and plays. I have to say that it was fun but tiring. I don't think I've ever run so much in my life! Greg and Vince weren't that much better off than I was but I was surprised that Longbottom was holding his own. He was breathing just as hard as the rest of us but his stamina was incredible. According to him, there are some plants in his family's greenhouse that fight back and it's normal for him to be that active when dealing with them." I excused myself to answer the call of nature. When I returned, Mother and Father were in the middle of their own conversation so I just sat in my chair and waited.

"Draco, dear. I must say that I'm really impressed by your story. Did you go anywhere else besides this shopping center and pizza restaurant?" Narcissa asked, her eyes daring Father to interrupt her again. I quirked an eyebrow up at the two of them, clearly something happened while I was away.

Shrugging it off, I continued my story about some of the sights we visited.

* * *

"Our first stop was to be the London Underground. Mrs. Dursley had recommended that we take that instead of the car as parking would've been a nightmare, especially on a weekend. I wore my new clothes including the sweater. Mrs. Dursley fed us breakfast then loaded us into the car to drive to the Underground's parking lot. I had no idea that there was a train that ran under the streets! It was clean and orderly. I'm glad that the Hogwarts Express doesn't have to deal with things like traffic, scheduling or which station platform to use. I don't know how the muggles manage but they just examine this board with colored lines, pick out which stop they want and pay for a ticket."

I paused as I took a sip of my refreshed tea. I glanced down and frowned briefly; something that Mother immediately picked up on, "Something wrong with the tea, dear?"

I huffed a sort of laugh, "I must've gotten used to the fizzy drinks I had over the weekend. Everything else pales in comparison. Anyways, we paid for an all-day ticket that would allow us to get off and on as we needed to. Once we boarded the train, we were off to our first attraction: Buckingham Palace."

I described our visit to the palace and the curious history and etiquette regarding the famed guards and how they're trained not to respond to anyone or anything.

"The palace dates back to 1703 and contains a wealth of spectacular treasures. Father, I'm sure that we have some rare and expensive pieces in the family vault but I doubt that they're anything as ridiculously expensive as the palace decorations were. The ballrooms make our pale in comparison, almost to the point where the decorations look like they were made by children. I was in a hushed awe the entire time." Lucius sneered at the thought that the muggle queen could have anything better than the Malfoys.

"The next stop was the British Museum. According to the tourist information, it's a world-class…venue that was founded in 1753 and is home to a lot of renowned collections of antiquities and art from all over the world! There's a bunch of incredible paintings and portraits that could rival what's available in Hogwarts though these don't move around. There's a famous stone called the 'Rosetta Stone' that has inscriptions in three different languages and supposedly was used to teach foreigners how to speak the local language, or some such thing. There were also sculptures and statues that you would've loved, Mother."

I paused for a moment and it wasn't until Mother cleared her throat before I shook myself from my introspection, "I was just thinking. All of the things we saw or did was just a drop in the bucket as Harry repeatedly said and I have to agree with him. The muggle world is so different from what we've been led to believe that to dismiss them as unimportant like Father has said many times is a mistake in my opinion."

* * *

Our next stop was the London Zoo. Here was yet another thing that muggles did that I wasn't aware of. Apparently they had some sort of school set up to teach prospective zoo keepers kind of like our Care of Magical Creatures.

"Can you imagine if Hagrid were to find out about this?" Harry quipped, "He's in love with all sort of animals, the bigger and nastier the better. He once told me that he'd love to own a dragon someday."

"Too bad they're illegal to own in Britain," I snorted at the thought of Hagrid leading a dragon around on a leash and a bag to scoop away the poop. (Dudley clued me in on that tidbit of gross information)

Hermione must've overheard because she looked puzzled, "But isn't there a species of dragon in the South Pacific that only grows to be about the size of a Rottweiler and eats only fruits and the occasional insect?" I shrugged my shoulders.

"No idea. You can contact the Ministry to see if that's true or not though." She merely nodded her head in contemplative thought.

* * *

"We wandered into the Snake and Reptile House and looked at all sorts of venomous snakes and this really huge monitor lizard. I jokingly commented that maybe someone ought to gift one of these to Hagrid and let him just think it's a dragon. That's when Harry got this grin on his face that made me shiver."

Narcissa leant forward in anticipation like a nervous girl experiencing her first slumber party, "What was it?"

I pulled out a picture from my bag and handed it over, "That there is what's known as the Komodo Dragon. It's not a _real_ dragon, just the world's largest non-magical lizard. They live in Indonesia and are the apex scavenger there." Mother and Father's eyes widened dramatically as they read the information attached to the picture.

Lucius straightened up and got this faraway look in his eyes, "I think I'm going to get rid of the peacocks and get a couple of these Komodo Dragons instead. Talk about being impressive…" he murmured.

* * *

There was a kid interactive learning zone attached to the reptile house where we could actually touch and interact with some of the lesser snakes and lizards. I could've sworn I heard Harry hissing at one of the snakes but shook it off as a figment of my imagination.

I nudged his arm, "Were you _hissing_ at the snake?"

He smirked, "You know how cats and dogs will sometimes respond when you meow or bark at them? I wanted to see if a snake would do the same." He then glanced over at Dudley and Hermione, both of whom had knowing looks on their faces. _'Something is definitely going on here.'_

We stopped for lunch eventually and had something called burgers and chips from a place called, 'McDonald's.' It wasn't bad but it wasn't pizza. I miss the pizza, I'm going to try and teach our elves how to make it.

* * *

"Dinner was nothing elaborate after all the money spent during our trip to muggle London. Mr. Dursley had called ahead and ordered food to be delivered by a restaurant to the house by the time we got back," I recounted. Mother was still in awe with my descriptions while Father had given up any pretense and was holding mock battles with my army men on the coffee table. I think that hilarious memory is going to stay with me for a long time and I can't wait to share it with my friends.

"What sort of food was it? More pizza?" Mother asked.

"I wish. No, it was Thai. I think, I'm not entirely sure but it was good. Spicy but good. I know that I'm repeating myself on this one particular observation but, Muggles…there's so much that they know and experience that it makes our way of life seem primitive in comparison!"

Narcissa blinked bemusedly at that then rolled her hand for me to finish the story.

* * *

Sunday was the last day before we were scheduled to take our portkeys home. The weather really wasn't the greatest and both Mr. and Mrs. Dursley weren't really up to taking us anywhere. Dudley had the idea that we just spend the day doing ordinary stuff with the option of seeing a movie later. _'Whatever those are.'_

"So, what sort of things are available to do at this park, Dudley?"

Dudley held up a net bag containing a football, a round disc made from plastic and some bright orange plastic cones with reflective strips around the narrow end, "I thought that we could play some football in a larger space and toss a Frisbee around. There's also swings and a climbing rack too. Hey Harry! Do you remember if the sandpit was open again?"

I could see Harry purse his lips in thought, "I think so but don't quote me on it."

We spent most of the early afternoon just being kids. Something that I don't think I ever want to miss out on again. All those pretentious parties I was dragged along to by Mother and Father just couldn't compare to running around, getting sweaty and dirty yet having the time of my life. We split up into teams; Harry was one team leader, Dudley the other. I was on Harry's team along with Longbottom and Greg. Dudley was one person short until he asked around with the other children in the park. I never did get her name but she was pretty good, I guess. I was surprised that Hermione was right there in the thick of the action along with Harry and Dudley. She always struck me as the nerdy, bookwormish type of girl but there was none of that as she drove in and cornered the ball and kicked it away to her teammates.

* * *

The game lasted until this truck arrived playing some sort of hideous tune. I was surprised that it seemed to catch all of the other kids' attention as they broke off and ran over. I had had ice cream before but usually it was served in a dish. This ice cream (along with other sweet treats) was served in a crispy, cone shaped waffle. We sat on the grass, catching our breaths while lapping our treats.

"So what's next to see or do, Harry?" I asked between laps.

He merely shrugged, "Dunno. Probably head back to the house and just veg out until dinner."

Greg grunted, "Veg out?"

"Yeah, just lie around the house doing nothing until called to do something like take out the trash, help make dinner, you know; stuff…" Harry replied.

Greg nodded sagely, "Didn't know it was called that."

* * *

"So to cap off a wonderful afternoon, we headed back to the Dursleys when Hermione suggested we watch something called a, 'movie.' She went into the kitchen to make a snack called, 'popcorn.' She came back a few minutes later with individual bowls of this snack. Mrs. Dursley helped by bringing a bottle of soda and empty glasses. Harry and Dudley got us situated on the sofa in the living room in front of this box with a glass front. Dudley took this plastic rectangular thing and inserted it into another item of wonder called a VCR. I know it won't mean much to you but the movie was called, 'Batman.' He's this hero who dresses up as a bat when fighting crime on the mean streets of Gotham yet during the day is a mild-mannered ultra-rich playboy who spends the time hosting lavish parties and contributing to various fundraisers. He's got a tragic backstory yet doesn't let it get him down. His archrival is a madman known as 'Joker.'" I kept rambling on about the movie to my parents.

"Then we had one last dinner together, I took the portkey here and that's…that."


	15. Chapter 15

**Hogwarts, Headmaster's office the afternoon following the custody hearing**

The portraits that hung in the headmaster's office were used to seeing all manner of angry behaviors from whoever held the office over the course of the past millennium. There had been those who would rant and rave about various topics then settle into a sort of mopey fugue until the mood passed. Albus Dumbledore's rage however, took things to a whole new level of anger.

"GODS DAMN THOSE DURSLEYS! HOW DARE THEY THINK THEY CAN JUST WALTZ IN AND TAKE WHAT IS MINE! THE BRAT IS _MY_ WEAPON TO USE AGAINST VOLDEMORT! THEY'RE NOTHING BUT DIRTY MUGGLES WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO DO ONE THING BUT NO! THEY COULDN'T EVEN RAISE THE BRAT THE WAY I WANTED THEM TO!" He screamed and raved while simultaneously throwing whatever objects were close at hand. Priceless artifacts, trinkets and parchment went flying around the room, smashing up against walls or just being obliterated with a wave of his wand. He finally ran out of steam and dropped unceremoniously into his chair, still muttering about the parentage of the blasted muggles.

' _How the hell am I supposed to test the brat now if we're not allowed to be in the same room together? I've already tried a compulsion charm… A potion might work, if anything it would throw suspicion onto Severus if it was discovered later. I can't even gift him the Invisibility Cloak like I'd wanted to. Damn that brat for having a family to go home to. What the hell went wrong with that Weasley kid, Ronald? He was supposed to ingratiate himself to being Harry's friend and fill his head with all sorts of negative stories about the other Houses.'_

While Albus sat there and glared at nothing in particular, his phoenix Fawkes grew more and more agitated from the darkening of Albus' aura, thoughts and behaviors. When Albus latched onto the idea of potioning young Harry Potter then use another as a scapegoat, Fawkes had enough. With a loud screech and a superheated wave of fire, the familiar bond between Albus and Fawkes was irrevocably severed. With one last scream of despair, Fawkes flamed out of the office.

* * *

_**Later in the Infirmary…** _

Albus awoke and gazed around him, wondering how the hell he ended up in the infirmary. The last thing he remembered was trying to figure out how to test the Potter brat for the coming battle between him and Voldemort. Madam Pomfrey was alerted that her patient was awake and so bustled out to see how he was doing.

"Albus? How are you feeling?"

"Confused. What happened? How did I end up here?" he grumbled as he swept a hand over his face only to stop in shock, "My beard! My hair! What happened?! Where's a mirror?" he yelped as he fumbled for the mirror that Poppy had conjured.

Albus stared in muted horror, seeing his bald face for the first time since childhood staring back at him.

"I don't know, Albus. I kind of like it," Poppy temporized, "Makes you look less like a walking bush and more human. As for what happened, the former headmasters portraits reported that your phoenix took offense to something and flash flamed out of your office. Most everything in there will need to be replaced or repaired."

Albus sighed in annoyance, "At least my wand survived…"

At a strangled sort of noise from Poppy, Albus turned with widening eyes, "Poppy? Where's my wand?"

"Um, about that…"

* * *

**Hogwarts Express, heading north**

Harry sat in his compartment surrounded by his friends as they all related how their holidays went. Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott had joined them early on and were listening spellbound to Vincent's description of the holiday he spent with Harry in the muggle world. Hermione sat next to him and whenever she wasn't gesturing about something, she was holding his hand. Neville noticed and motioned with his eyes, questioning when this started. Harry shrugged slightly and shook his head. He didn't know but he liked it and wasn't going to question it.

"My mother wanted me to ask you if you'd be willing to take us back into the muggle world this summer, Harry," Greg asked turning away from a conversation he was listening to between Draco and Pansy.

Harry cocked his head in thought, "Well, it's several months away but I don't see a problem with it. Did you want to go back to the mall or somewhere different?"

"I think mum wanted to go to that mall. She was intrigued by the clothes I bought. Dad is curious to see how advanced the muggles are."

Harry could understand that, "Okay, we'll see what happens this term and plan when we get closer." Greg agreed and turned back to Draco.

* * *

Harry returned to their compartment after needing a trip to the loo, surprise evident on his face.

"Hey! Did you all know that this train has a dining car? Who wants to go see what's available?"

"A dining car?" Pansy was confused, "I thought the Honeydukes Express was the only food service."

Harry waved for them to follow him, "Well, let's go then. Onward, food!"

Hermione chuckled at her best friend's antics, "You'd think he'd never been given food before."

The group paused in the doorway to the dining car in surprise. It wasn't lavish but it was tasteful. There were linens on the tables, cloth napkins and real silverware. Menus were stacked up in little holders and a couple of wait staff bustled about bringing out dishes of mouthwatering meals. They grabbed one of the longer tables set along the right-hand side and began distributing and examining the menu. The fare wasn't extravagant but it also wasn't the sort of junk food that many associated with the Express.

"What are you going to get, Hermione?" Harry asked as he continued to look over his options.

"I'm not sure, I'm leaning towards a soup and sandwich but deciding _which_ soup and sandwich I want is the tough part. What about you?"

Harry pointed to the menu, "I was thinking of something light. You just know that the Returning Feast is going to be heavy and I'd be likely to explode if I had something just as crazy here. The curried chicken with rice sounds good."

Hermione nodded and went back to her own menu. The waiter appeared and asked if everyone was ready. One by one, they ordered some light foods; Pansy ordered a salad with dressing on the side, tea and a cup of seasonal fruit, Susan and Hannah were going to split a Club sandwich with chips on the side plus two iced teas. Draco had gone with an order of crab meat croquettes and green peas plus a bottle of butterbeer, Neville went with a bowl of oyster stew and just a glass of ice water. Hermione finally settled on a small cup of cream of tomato soup plus a hot roast beef sandwich and a cup of tea. Greg and Vince ended ordering the same thing of black pastrami sandwiches with cole slaw on the side plus butterbeer.

* * *

The food arrived twenty minutes later and they dug in; all exclaiming their thanks to Harry for suggesting this wonderful idea. Trades of samples of each other's dishes were made and commented on for future reference. With the arrival of another pot of tea and water, they leaned back in their seats and rubbed their full tummies.

"Ahh, thank you again, Harry. I had no idea that this was available. It's certainly better than suffering from a sugar rush and resulting crash later," Vince commented with a quiet burp.

Harry grinned in smug contentment, "Right? I was surprised too but then you gotta figure that _something_ must've been available. The trip from London to the school lasts about eight hours or so, so a food service was only logical."

Neville had his eyes closed, he laughed at Harry's comment, "Logic? On a magical train? Who are you kidding?"

* * *

Several hours later they arrived at the Hogsmeade station and took the waiting carriages up to the school. Draco, Pansy, Vince and Greg wandered over to the Slytherin table while Harry, Hermione and Neville headed off to their own House's.

"Hey, Harry!" Fellow Puff Megan Jones yelled, "I heard that you discovered something new on the train?"

Harry shrugged a shoulder, "I wouldn't say it was _new_ but yeah, I discovered that the train has a dining car available to the students." Several of the older years nodded their heads knowingly.

"Where was it?"

"Last two cars of the train, past the car the Slytherins usually declare their own," he replied, "Food is good and low cost."

Megan accepted that with a nod of her head and turned back to her friends. A prefect commented that the dining car had been in operation since the line's inception.

"I wonder why were we never told about this during our orientation?" Hermione wondered but the prefect could only shake his head in commiseration.

* * *

Classes resumed and before he knew it, Harry was neck deep in studying and homework. In Defense class, the headaches he got in the beginning resumed with a vengeance all their own much to his consternation. Harry made yet another trip to the infirmary to get a headache potion and to lodge another complaint that there _had to be something_ that could be done to permanently deal with them.

"Madam Pomfrey? Didn't you say once that you wanted to examine both Professor Quirrell and myself? I know he's here in the castle today, so let's call him and get him to come down?"

Poppy nodded thoughtfully, "Good idea, Mr. Potter." She activated the floo and called to the Defense office.

"Professor Quirrell? This is Poppy, I need you to come down to the infirmary as soon as you can, please."

Quirrell looked puzzled, "I-is t-t-t-there s-s-somet-thing wrong?"

Poppy quickly glanced back on her end before turning back, "A student needs your expertise with a bit of treatment. Quickly now!"

"I-I- I'll be r-r-r-right there."

Upon his hesitant arrival, Quirrell was ushered behind a curtained off bed and in a moment's surprise, was stunned by Poppy. With a huff of exasperation, she began running every diagnostic scan she could think of. When she went to remove his turban, she got the most horrifying shock of her life. There was something growing out the back of his head!

' _My gods, that looks like a face!'_ she screamed internally, _'I need to alert the Aurors!'_

* * *

**Same time, Dursley Residence**

Amelia Bones, Director of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, was sitting with the Dursley adults discussing the results of her department's findings into the case of Sirius Black.

"Much to my shock and disgust, the handling of his case smacks of corruption and magical influence. I spoke with the arresting Aurors and neither one of them remembered much beyond that Sirius was babbling incoherently that 'it was all his fault' over and over again. There's missing paperwork and what was there looks like it was deliberately altered."

Vernon shook his head in disgust while Petunia looked rather sick, "So what's going to happen to the poor man now? Is he fit enough to stand trial?"

Amelia paused as she took a sip of her tea, "Hopefully. He'll have to spend at least six months in intensive care at Saint Mungo's where they'll work on cleaning him up and helping him deal with his mental state. Surprisingly though, his mental state isn't what one would expect for being around Dementors for nigh on ten years. He acts a bit manic at times but he's not the drooling wreck like so many of them are."

Just then an owl arrived at the window and tapped on the glass. Petunia looked concerned since it wasn't Hedwig, "Hello there. Who is your letter for?" she inquired upon opening the window.

The owl flapped through the now open window and landed in front of Amelia. She untied the letter and was about to give it a treat when it just flew off. Once glance at the letter and her face paled, "I'm sorry Mister and Missus Dursley, I'm going to have to cut our meeting short. There's an emergency at Hogwarts."

Petunia let out a small shriek while Vernon leapt to his feet, "Is it about Harry? Can we go?"

Amelia replied that it might be too dangerous for muggles to go along with but promised them both that once the situation cleared, she would contact them personally. Once that was decided, she apparated out of the kitchen.

* * *

**Headmaster's Office**

Albus could only stand there staring with wide eyes at what remained of his office. The only thing left recognizable was the inlaid decorations embedded within the stone walls. Everything else was incinerated beyond recognition. The desk and chair was a pile of smoldering ashes, his books gone, the portraits missing (he figured that Hogwarts saved those); even the carpeting was scorched as it kept flaking up as he walked over it. He paused at the spot he always left his wand when working at the desk. It was indistinguishable from the rest of the debris. He couldn't believe it; the legendary Elder Wand, the Wand of Destiny and many other sobriquets…gone.

He shook his head in disbelief again. Just then the wards pinged, telling him that there were visitors heading at a high rate of speed towards the castle and that Quirrell had been attacked in the infirmary. Growling at the rude disruption to his morose musings, he rushed back out the door.

* * *

**Same time, Hogwarts Infirmary**

Amelia burst through the doors with her wand drawn, a team of Aurors and Unspeakables behind her. She spotted Poppy shielding a first year student near her office door.

"Poppy?" Poppy pointed with a trembling finger at the curtained-off bed.

"There's a face growing out of the back of Professor Quirrell's head! I stunned him when he arrived so I could run a diagnostic scan because there was something about his presence that was causing Mr. Potter's headaches. After I removed that turban, I noticed… _that._ "

Amelia and her team converged on the hidden bed and cast body-binding and silencing charms as well as another round of stunners. The Unspeakables moved in to take a closer look; they too found the face that shouldn't be there and were horrified to realize that it was a spectral possession of none other than that of the Dark Lord himself, Voldemort!

The lead Unspeakable started issuing orders, "Bode! Go back to the DoM and bring back a spectral containment unit, quickly!" Bode hurried over to the floo and activated it before diving into the green flames. "Director Bones? Take your team and Talon here to go and examine the professor's office and apartment. Confiscate everything that looks even remotely sinister. Now, where is Mr. Potter?"

Poppy led him over to where Harry was sitting on his bed watching everything in stunned silence and wide eyes. The lead Unspeakable introduced himself as 'Croaker' and that he'd be running a different and more in-depth scan of Harry's scar.

"It's not going to hurt, is it?" Harry nervously asked.

Croaker shook his head, "It shouldn't but if it does, feel free to yell out." He began waving his wand in a choreographed pattern. There was a sensation of tightness around the scar tissue which caused Harry to grunt.

"It feels like someone is trying to pull my scar off my forehead." Croaker hummed in response but kept up his scans.

* * *

Just then, the doors flew open once again to the sight of Albus rushing in waving his arms and looking rather agitated.

"Stop! Stop this at once! Who gave you permission to enter the school and attack my professors?" he bellowed.

"Albus Dumbledore! You will lower your voice at once. This is still my infirmary and I won't have you behaving like a hippo in heat." Croaker looked at her in askance but she just ignored him as she glared balefully at the headmaster.

Albus backed down immediately, it wouldn't behoove him to tangle with Poppy when she was upset, "My apologies, Poppy. I was merely dismayed to learn that Professor Quirrell had been attacked and rushed here at once. Now what's going on with Harry here? Harry, my boy, what seems to be the problem?"

Harry scooted back away from the approaching headmaster, "I'm not your boy and you're not allowed to be in the same room as me."

Albus waved that away dismissively, "I'm sure you don't mean that, my boy. It was just a silly misunderstanding."

Harry's eyes narrowed dangerously, "No, Headmaster. It wasn't a 'silly misunderstanding.' The court ruled that you were to never be in the same room as me for any length of time and I will _never_ be 'your boy.'" He turned to face Poppy, "I want my aunt and uncle here."

Albus gave him a condescending look, "I'm sure that you don't mean that. I'm sure that all you need is a cup of hot chocolate."

With an exasperated huff, Harry pointedly ignored Albus and turned to Poppy who was now on the verge of boiling over at the headmaster, "Madam Pomfrey? What's your _professional_ opinion?"

"He stays!" she growled out. Croaker silently agreed with her; his scans were detecting something rather Dark embedded within the boy's scar. Amelia and her team returned just then and she intercepted the old man before he could try to interfere again.

"Headmaster, I'm quite sure you know the ruling regarding your presence and Mr. Potter. You need to leave right now." Albus gave her a hard look and left in a huff, muttering the whole way.

"Manipulative old goat." Harry let out a laugh at that declaration which relieved some of the remaining tension.

"Croaker, we found about what you'd expect from a Defense professor in his office. There wasn't any journals or artifacts that needed our immediate attention. As per your request, all of it was shrunk and boxed awaiting for transport," Talon reported in. Croaker bowed his head briefly in acknowledgement.

"We have a new problem though. My scans indicate that there's something Dark that lays embedded within Mr. Potter's scar tissue. What it is, I'm not sure," Croaker explained, "Mr. Potter? What would you describe the pain like whenever you were in the same room as Professor Quirrell?"

Harry pursed his lips and scrunched his brow in thought, "It was like someone had latched on with a hook and trying to drag it out of my head. Strangely, it only felt like that when Professor Quirrell was facing away from me."

"Harry? I was with your aunt and uncle when I got the notice to get here; I promised to fill them in when the situation was settled. Would you still like me to bring them here?" Amelia inquired. Harry nodded his head emphatically so she dismissed herself and headed for the floo.

* * *

_**Twenty minutes later…** _

Stunned wonder was probably the best description that both Vernon and Petunia could give to what they were seeing as Amelia led them into the castle. They had been given special bracelets and told to grab hold of a hula hoop of all things. With a rush of light and sound, the Dursleys were whisked away from Surrey and deposited just outside the gates of Hogwarts. Petunia was near tears as she _finally_ got to see the school where Lily had gone to for seven years. The grandeur and possibilities, the history; the sight of hundreds of students coming and going. The sounds, sights and even smells bombarded her senses. Vernon seemed to be holding it together though when she studied his face a bit longer, she could see the tension around his eyes.

They entered the infirmary and headed over to where Harry was lying in bed reading a book. He glanced up at the sound of their approach and let loose with a big smile and tossed his book aside.

"Aunt Petunia! Uncle Vernon! I'm glad you're here. You're not going to believe what's happened."

Poppy exited her office and approached the group, "Mr. and Mrs. Dursley? I'm Poppy Pomfrey, the school medi-witch. This is Unspeakable Croaker of the Department of Mysteries. Why don't you have a seat and we can begin our explanations?" The explanations took a while since some of the topics like spectral possession and Dark embedded magics had to be explained to the muggles in terms they'd understand. Petunia finally burst into tears and gathered Harry up in her arms.

"I can't lose him! I can't lose my last remaining link to my sister. There must be something you can do?"

Croaker looked pained, "Well… I'm sure there's a ritual that would expel whatever it is that lies within the scar, but it's complicated and I'm not sure how effective it would be after all this time."

"What if you were to cut the scar and surrounding tissue away from his head?" All eyes swung over to where Vernon was sitting, a curious look on his face.

"Cut? Mr. Dursley, we're not butchers," Poppy replied aghast at his suggestion.

Vernon waved his hand reassuringly, "I'm sure you're not but some of our specialist surgeons are trained to remove scars and corrupted tissue in cases like this. Well, not exactly in cases like this unless you know of a muggleborn who came back and became a surgeon?"

Croaker looked pensive before replying that an investigation would have to take place if they went that route.

"What if you were to open up the scar and let me be close to Professor Quirrell?" Harry quietly asked, "If the scar or whatever it is that lays within feels like it's trying to go to him, why not let it? I can live with the scar. It's kind of cool looking, really." Petunia rubbed his back comfortingly.

Amelia glanced between Poppy and Croaker, "Well, now you have more options than just an obscure ritual that may or may not work. In the meantime, is there anything you can think of that would keep Mr. Potter from rejoining his friends?" Neither of them had anything so Harry was discharged from the infirmary.

Harry paused at the door, "Aunt Petunia? Uncle Vernon? Would you like to see Hufflepuff House and where I live?" Petunia gratefully accepted as did Vernon. With the permission of Poppy, they followed Harry out the door.

* * *

Once they were gone, Amelia dismissed her Aurors then turned back to Croaker and Poppy, "Okay, here's what I want to have happen. I want a full report of everything that transpired today, no matter how inconsequential. Croaker? How soon can you get that medical vetting done?"

"I can have it done within a week."

"Good, I want this thing out of Mr. Potter's head as soon as possible. Frankly, I'm surprised that the Dursleys never took him in any sooner."

"They may never have known about it," Poppy interjected, "It's not like they have the capabilities to scan his scar and it only started hurting him when he arrived at the school back in September."

Amelia quirked an eyebrow, "Why am I just finding out about this now?"

Poppy made a chagrinned face, "Sorry, but up until now I thought it was just the ordinary sort of headaches a student got from overstudying. Occasionally, I'll get a muggleborn or raised come through complaining that the amount of ambient magic is giving them a headache."

"Fine. Who else would've known about the possibility of contamination within that scar prior to Mr. Potter coming to the school?" Amelia wondered out loud.

"Um," Poppy hesitated, "Perhaps Minerva would've known? She handles all the muggleborn introductions and was close friends with the Potters prior to their murders. Beyond that, the only person I could think of would be the headmaster and you saw what he's like today."

Amelia growled and rubbed the bridge of her nose at the thought of dealing with that menace of a headmaster, "Fine, let's go talk with Minerva."

* * *

' _I wonder if this is how Harry felt the first time he went to Diagon Alley,'_ Vernon mused as he was escorted through the magical halls of Hogwarts. _'Still, seeing seemingly ordinary students going about their business, going to class, talking with their friends and whatnot_ IS _rather comforting.'_

Petunia spotted and pointed out Hermione obediently following behind another older gentleman, jabbering away about something.

"That's Argus Filch," Harry replied, "He's the caretaker here at the school and is actually a pretty nice guy once you get past his gruff attitude. Remember me telling you in a letter that he's the guy who played the First Doctor in Doctor Who? Well, Hermione figured it out just about the same time I did and she practically swooned. She follows him around when she's not in class or studying for a test and bombards him with endless questions."

"She's not bothering him, is she?"

Harry shrugged a shoulder, "As far as I know, she's not. I think he kind of likes it. She's told me that he's taken her on as a sort of apprentice when he has to fix a painting or something that broke."

Vernon was examining a portrait of a young girl holding a pitcher of wine when he jumped back and let out a yelp of surprise. Harry glanced over and saw that the girl was waving at them and giggling at the same time. He smirked at his startled uncle and suggested that they continue on.

* * *

**Hufflepuff Sunroom**

The three of them entered the Puff Common Room; Petunia and Vernon were impressed by how homey and comforting everything appeared to be. It was clean and earthy at the same time. The walls were a sort of earthy brown with various planters filled with all sorts of vegetation in them; some of the plants were even playing with some of the students!

"Wow, you weren't kidding, Harry. It really does feel like coming in to a warm hug," Vernon commented. Harry grinned knowingly.

"Yup, but if you think this is great, lemme show you the sunroom." He led them off towards a door conveniently marked, 'Sunroom.'

Petunia's eyes widened and she felt her mouth drop open as she took in the grandeur and splendor within the glass conservatory. Even Vernon made some noises that sounded like he was impressed. There were flowers of every description in bloom, they could hear chirping of birds somewhere off to towards the ceiling, a pedestal fountain and even a fountain that shot streams of water in graceful arcs. A small, raised fish pond held aquatic plants and they could see that there were students lounging around.

Harry spotted Neville puttering around as he usually did and called the boy over. Neville climbed to his feet and dusted off his hands as he held out his right hand to shake with Petunia's and Vernon's.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Mr. and Mrs. Dursley. What brings you by? Missing Harry that much?" He finished off with a smirk at his best friend who shoved him playfully on the shoulder.

"Actually, we're here because Harry had a medical problem. I'll let him tell you if he likes but he offered to show us around the school as we've never been here before," Petunia explained as they took a seat at an open table, "As I'm sure Harry's told you, my sister Lily went here years ago but she'd never told me about any of this. I'm wondering if she ever knew?"

Neville scrunched his face up in thought, "Probably not unless she had friends in Hufflepuff at the time and was invited back here. It's kind of like a House secret.

* * *

After examining the sunroom, Harry took them to his dorm and showed them some of his class and homework as well as some of his experimentations in wandcrafting.

"Now that I have access to the runes and arithmancy teachers, I was able to figure out why Hermione and my attempts to install the enchantments for the Trace failed. I won't bore you with the details but let's just say it was the equivalent of a loose wire in the circuitry. Drove me up a wall when it was discovered."

* * *

The Dursleys finished out their tour of the castle with a visit to the greenhouses. Petunia had commented that she was thoroughly in love with how everything was presented. The empty pots were stacked along a wall, the gardening tools were hung from pegs or leaning up against a smaller potter's shed, there were benches to sit on. Vernon was getting fidgety from the increased humidity and asked if they could cut the trip short, the heat was getting to him. Harry led the adults out to the hillside where they could get a view of the landscape and the lake.

"Off that direction," Harry said, pointing out vaguely towards the west, "Is the magical town of Hogsmeade. I'd show you that if I could but only students third year and up are allowed to go there. It's funny though, we can't go to the town without a teacher escort yet they allow Hermione and I to take our bikes around the hills unescorted sometimes."

Petunia patted him on the shoulder consolingly, "Don't worry about that, Harry. Us coming here was only because you needed our comfort and advice. You can show us the town some other time."

"Harry?" Vernon began, "How has the headmaster been treating you since the custody hearing? Any problems?"

Harry grimaced, "He tried to muscle his way into the infirmary before Director Bones went to get you. He dismissed my concerns and when I repeatedly told him that he wasn't allowed near me, he got huffy. It took the joined efforts of Madam Pomfrey and Director Bones to get him to leave."

His aunt and uncle glanced at each other in silent communication. Petunia made the mental note to contact their lawyer later to let him know about the new information.

* * *

After a rather lengthy stop at the Great Hall where they were introduced to some of Harry's friends from the other Houses, the trio started making their way out towards the front of the castle to await Amelia for their ride home. They had just passed the entrance to the Great Hall when Harry heard his name being called.

"Mr. Potter, a moment of your time," Severus intoned. The dour man glanced at Petunia and sneered, "Tuney."

Petunia cocked her head in thought then widened her eyes in surprise, "Severus? Severus Snape? Wow, I haven't seen you in ages. How have you been?"

Petunia's pleasant demeanor took Severus aback, _'Where was the animosity that she usually held for me?'_

Petunia's face took on a sardonic smirk, "Not the greeting you were expecting, huh?" She sobered up, "I've had time to come to terms with how atrociously I treated you back then. I was wrong and frankly, it was a bad time for me especially after getting that rejection letter telling me that I wasn't wanted here."

Severus bowed his head in acceptance, "Thank you…Petunia. I accept your apology." He turned back to Harry, "Have you seen Miss Granger?"

Harry shrugged with his hands, "Last I saw her; she was following Mr. Filch again. Not sure where they were headed."

"How long ago was this?"

Harry tilted his head, "About an hour ago? Maybe a bit longer?"

Severus pursed his lips, "Very well, if you see her let her know that I need to speak with her."

"Anything that needs our attention?" Petunia asked.

Severus shook his head, "Some supplies that she requested I locate for her to help in her studies. There are some whom I don't mind helping."

A slow grin formed on Harry's face, "It has something to do with a prank she's planning, doesn't it?"

Severus got this weird look on his face, "Maybe…" He then bowed to Petunia and Vernon and left.


	16. Chapter 16

**Courtyard between the Greenhouses and the castle, beginning of February**

Harry was sitting on a bench underneath one of the many Silver Birch trees that lined the courtyard. It amazed him yet at the same time made a bit of sense for a magical castle dedicated to learning would have an assortment of the sort of trees that made up the students' wands. Hermione was on his left leaning up against him while scribbling in her ever present journal. Their homework had already been finished an hour ago and so the two preteens were just relaxing. She looked up at the sound of his contented sigh.

"What's wrong, Harry?"

Harry slowly shook his head, "Nothing, just sighing in contentment. It's a beautiful day, I got you at my side and I'm surrounded by wonderful examples of magical woods."

She sat up, smiled warmly at him and glanced around, "Really? Like what?"

Harry pointed out the various trees lining the courtyard, "Over there is Alder; next to it is Wych Elm, on the left is a couple of Beech, Ash and the one we're sitting under is a Silver Birch."

He stood up and dusted himself off before heading over to a magnificent example of Rowan, "This here is Rowan. It's one of the more magical species of trees; it's reputed to be more protective than any other, and renders all manner of defensive charms especially strong and difficult to break. It's commonly stated that no Dark witch or wizard ever owned a rowan wand."

"Is that why I always feel a bit weirded out when I get too close to it?" asked an unfamiliar voice. They spun around and spotted a Slytherin seventh year standing before them with a curious look on his face.

"Umm…I don't know, what sort of magic have you tried to do?" Harry stammered nervously.

"I'm from a relatively Dark-leaning family, the Davis' though not related to first year Slytherin Tracy Davis. We specialize in ritualistic magic," he explained with a sardonic grin, "though according to the Ministry and Dumbledore, we're no longer 'allowed to.'"

"So, you've tried to use Rowan wands?" Hermione asked but the Davis boy shook his head.

"No, but whenever I get close to this tree, I feel sick to my stomach and I'm at a loss as to why." He waved it off, "Actually the reason I'm here, Mr. Potter is that I understand that you craft wands and I was wondering if you'd be willing to make a new one for me. My current one is not responding well to my castings." He handed over his wand handle first.

"I can take a look; I guess and please call me Harry." Harry replied as he began running his fingers over the shaft.

"Then please, both of you may call me Reginald." Hermione smiled and waved back.

"You can call me Hermione. So why would a wand suddenly up and die on you?"

Harry pondered that question; the shaft itself felt intact but Reginald was right, there was something _off_ about the wand.

"Well, first off I can already tell that this is not an Ollivander wand. It's not his crafting style and frankly, he's never missed on a proper match."

Reginald nodded and replied that he got it from one of the independent wand makers in Knockturn Alley.

Harry grimaced and continued his examination, "Next, while the wand shaft is in good condition and made from Hornbeam, I'd have to say that there's a problem with the core. What core did you get?"

"Unicorn tail hair."

"Yep," Harry nodded understandingly, "You've progressed further down some darker casting than your wand core was willing to follow. The unicorn is geared towards 'light-sided' magics and will die if seriously mishandled."

Hermione agreed, "I can see that, especially since you've stated that you come from a darker family. You as an eleven year old would be unlikely to be casting spells of a darker nature. I'd imagine that at some point during your education, you started to cast spells that your family does on a normal basis during one of their rituals?" Reginald nodded once, "Well, as Harry said, your wand couldn't cope and died."

"Will you be able to make a new one? I'd rather not wait until the next school break to go into Diagon Alley."

"I think so," Harry pondered while rubbing his chin, "I have plenty of wand blanks and a decent selection of cores here. How would you feel about using a wand that dealt with mostly so-called 'grey' magic?"

Reginald thought about it, "I wouldn't have a problem with that, I guess. I'm not planning on performing any of the really Dark magics."

Harry handed Reginald back his old wand, "Why don't you and I head back to my dorm so we can at least get a sense of what kind of materials you'd be suited for?"

"You're inviting me to the Hufflepuff dorms?" he asked, surprised.

Harry's face took on a puzzled look, "How else would I be able to fit you with a wand?" With a gesture, he led the three back to the dorms.

* * *

_**In Harry's Dorm…** _

Reginald was a person not easily impressed. It kind of came with the territory of being a member of Slytherin House. Yet, here he stood within the Hufflepuff Common Room completely and utterly impressed.

"Wow, you can practically _feel_ the magic in this room." Both kids smirked understandingly. Harry waved them on. Upon entering his room, Hermione tutted briefly at the sight of clothes hanging haphazardly on a chair. Harry maturely stuck his tongue out at her in response and headed over to his workspace.

"Okay Reginald, what I want you to do is to slowly pass your hand over these wand blanks. Whichever one feels 'right' we'll put aside." Reginald followed the instructions until he completed several passes. Each pass resulted in a different wood, surprising the elder boy.

"Don't seem so surprised. At your age, I'd imagine that your magic is a lot more nuanced than what it was when you were eleven. Now, of the ones you selected, which one feels the best." Again, Reginald passed his hand over the selected blanks finally stopping over one.

"This one. This feels the best out of the lot."

"Maple wood. By nature they are best suited for travelers and explorers; they are not 'stay-at-home' wands and prefer ambition in their witch or wizard, otherwise their magic grows heavy and lackluster. Fresh challenges and regular changes of scene cause this wand to literally shine, burnishing itself as it grows, with its partner, in ability and status."

"Wow…" Reginald breathed softly.

Harry clapped his hands, breaking the elder boy out of his musings, "Next, cores! Same procedure, just over here with these jars."

Again, Reginald passed his hand over the available cores. Hermione in the meantime had excused herself and headed back to her dorm to collect her engraving kit.

"What should I do if I get the exact same feeling for two cores?"

Harry shrugged a shoulder, "I'll blend them. My own wand has two cores so it's not a problem."

"Okay then these two will be my choice," the elder boy stated.

"So let's see. First are fang shavings from a Peruvian Vipertooth dragon; Symbolizes Power and Wisdom. This will produce a wand with the most power, and which are capable of the most flamboyant spells. They tend to be easiest to turn to the Dark Arts though it will not incline that way of its own accord. Second is lighter in nature, which evens out the 'grey' nature we're trying to achieve. It is the Griffin feather; destined for those who are true, skillful, stubborn, protective, et cetera. Having such a core suggests that you have a strong will as well as a strong heart. You are clever and witty, as well as observant, able to observe and perceive things that others would otherwise overlook or would not comprehend or see the connection to."

"Wow, Reginald you're going to have one heck of a wand," complimented Hermione who had returned and was busily getting her tools ready.

Reginald was stunned as well but he pulled himself together and ran his hand through his hair to calm his nerves, "How much for the wand?"

Harry consulted his pricing sheet and quoted a reasonable amount of seventeen Galleons, stating that the price is what it was because of the rarity of some of the ingredients. Reginald agreed to the price and was handed a receipt for services then told he could pick up his new wand by the following weekend.

* * *

Harry got set up on his meditation mat and got ready to begin shaping the shaft of the new wand. Hermione knew from past experience that any interruption would hinder the process so she remained quiet. In a moment of inspiration, she also quietly got up from her chair and grabbed a piece of paper and a marker from his desk. She wrote a simple message of _'Quiet please, meditating'_ then hung it on the outside of his dorm room door then settled back in to watch.

Harry opened his eyes after a few minutes but she could see that he wasn't really aware of anyone or anything in the room around him, still focused on the spirit within the wood and what it was telling him on how it wanted to be shaped. She watched as he picked up a paring knife and expertly began shaving off a sliver of wood here, a notch there, a swirling twist along the handle. As she watched, Harry continued to sculpt what looked like a large snake eating the shaft of the wand. Each and every scale was represented in the snake's skin, the eyes looked like soulless orbits (she figured he'd paint them later); even during the rough carving, she would swear the thing was hissing at him, giving instructions on how to make it the best wand ever.

* * *

It seemed like an age forever but in reality only thirty minutes had passed before Harry took a shuddering breath and blinked his eyes, coming back to normality. He looked around the room and saw Hermione reclined in the room's heavily padded chair reading a book.

"Her…" he croaked, "Hermione?"

She let out a gasp at the sudden interruption and tossed her book aside, "Oh, Harry! So let's see." She took the wand from him and marveled at the exquisite modeling, "It's going to look _gorgeous_ after you get the varnish on. Did you get a vision as to what color?"

Harry had gotten up and grabbed a bottle of water from his shelves, "Yeah," he replied after taking a swig to clear his throat, "The handle is going to be a rich brown almost like coffee with a gold flake yet when held up to the light will seem almost like emerald green while the shaft is going to be a honey brown. There will be a transition zone between the two. I'll deal with that tomorrow; I'm worn out from this round."

She slowly nodded her understanding; she remembered the times when he'd try to keep going only to pass out from the effort.

Swallowing another sip of water, he gestured with the bottle towards her carving set, "Decided on what sort of array you're going to engrave?"

"Well, while you were working, I went down to the dungeons and spoke with Professor Snape about what sort of magics he's noticed Reginald practicing. I explained that you'd been commissioned to make him a new wand since he killed his old one. I was asked why I didn't just ask Reginald directly but I explained that I couldn't find him and figured that asking his Head of House who's known the boy for seven years would know just as well. Anyways, Professor Snape explained that Reginald's magic casting leans toward a Level 6 on the soon to be patented 'Hermione Granger Scale of Magical Power.'"

Harry chuckled, "You shared that scale with him? I thought you didn't want to because someone might copy it and get it out onto the market before you?"

Hermione huffed good-naturedly, "I made him promise; Glared at him too." Harry gave a mock shudder at the mention of the 'Hermione Death Glare.' She just slapped him playfully on the shoulder.

* * *

Reginald Davis was in awe of his new wand when Harry presented it to him the following weekend. The moment he grasped it, the shaft warmed in his hand and produced a loud thunderclap followed by the earthy scent of a deep, dark magical forest. He cast a series of spells to test out the capabilities of this new wand and was thoroughly impressed. His friends gathered around and marveled at the detailed work in the snake grip and complimented Harry on his talent. Hermione stepped up and explained what and how the symbols she engraved on the shaft would do to aid in his spellcasting. Many of the older Slytherins were surprised at the depth of her knowledge of runic magic, each one wondering where she learned it. She just smiled sweetly but didn't elaborate.

* * *

**Valentine's Day**

Harry and Hermione got into the holiday spirit along with everyone else. They shared friendship cards and little handmade gifts to all their friends. Harry gave small tins dedicated to the four elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water. Each tin contained a small candle, a match, a couple of tiny vials of pre-made offerings such as salts or ashes as well as a booklet on how to perform the associated ritual and a brief paragraph of the ritual's history.

Hermione handed out handmade engraved talismans made from oak discs offering wishes like good luck, good health and protection. These had tiny handwritten cards attached with the explanation of what was engraved as well as a bit of history.

Harry's gift to Hermione was a fun-filled day of sledding and ice skating on the Black Lake. They built snowmen and snow angels, chased each other around, threw snowballs at each other and when the cold finally got to be too much, headed back inside to sip warming cups of hot chocolate and nibble on freshly baked biscuits from the kitchens.

* * *

**March**

It had been nearly a month since Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had visited Harry at the school following the revelation of his scar and Harry was getting kind of antsy about what might have to happen. There'd been no word from the Unspeakable about the test results, heck he hadn't even gotten a letter from his aunt and uncle! So Harry decided to traipse up to the owlery and have a chat with Hedwig and see if there was a problem. Upon entering he quickly noticed that all the owls seemed a bit agitated but couldn't figure out why. He smiled at Hedwig as she fluttered down to him and began hooting at him in a rather annoyed manner.

"I'm sorry, Hedwig but I don't understand owl." She huffed and glanced around the room trying to figure out another way to get her human to understand. She spotted a discarded note on the floor and swooped down to pick it up. Once she returned to the ledge, she presented him with the note. He reached out to take it from her but at the last moment, Hedwig yanked it away. Harry's face grew puzzled and he thought about what just happened.

"You want…you don't want to give me the letter?"

Hedwig huffed then looked up into the rafters and hooted something to the other owls. One of the larger birds swooped down and took her by a wing with its beak. She then tried again with the aborted letter hand off. That did it; Harry's eyes widened as he now understood. She was being prevented from sending out letters!

Pointing at her with an amazed look on his face, "Hedwig, you are an absolute genius! I'll be back as soon as I can." He then dashed out of the room.

* * *

Harry raced down the hallways and skidded to a stop in front of the barrels that guarded the entrance to the Puff Common room. Once inside, he ran up to Professor Sprout's office and banged on the door. Pomona answered it with a raised eyebrow and a moue of distaste for Harry's method of announcing himself.

"Mr. Potter? Surely there must be a reason why you banged on my door in such a manner?" she said drily.

Huffing from the running, Harry panted out, "Yes…professor. My owl Hedwig… told me that she… whew! ... and the other owls are being prevented from delivering their letters."

Pomona looked puzzled as she sat down in her chair again and not just a bit disturbed, "That's not right and frankly there's no reason for the mail to be locked down. Was there something specific you needed or were waiting for in the mail?"

Harry flopped down into an open chair and waved his hand negligently as he slowly recovered his breath, "I hadn't heard from my aunt and uncle about some possible surgery to remove my scar. The Unspeakable and Director Bones said they were going to write as well."

Nodding thoughtfully, Pomona rose from her chair and opened up a panel in the wall near the fireplace. There was a display of various lights and numbers, some red while others were green. She made a growling noise and shut the door.

"You're right, Mr. Potter, the owlery has indeed been shut down. There's only two ways for that to happen too. Either by the headmaster or one of the senior staff, this does not bode well."

Harry narrowed his eyes, "Especially since I've been having problems with a meddling headmaster who just can't seem to understand that I'm not his boy. What else can we do?"

She held up a finger before activating the floo. Once the flames were green she called the address for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. She stuck her head in but found that instead of the intended destination, she saw that she'd been rerouted to the headmaster's office. Pomona was fortunate that Dumbledore wasn't in but it still enraged her. She pulled her head out and shut down the link.

With a dangerous glint in her eye, she pressed a previously unnoticed rune on her desk, "Susan Bones, please report to the Head of House office. Susan Bones, immediately please."

* * *

Not five minutes later, Susan came running in and clearly out of breath, "Professor? What's wrong?"

Pomona replied, "Miss Bones, I need you to activate your emergency charm beacon. We seem to be having a problem that requires your aunt's immediate attention." Susan's eyes widened comically as she reached under her shirt's neckline and pulled out a decorative charm hanging from a gold chain. She tugged hard on the charm which broke the chain around her neck. The charm glowed blood red and began to pulse ominously.

Harry turned from the display to his Head of House who replied that they now needed to head to the main doors.

When they reached the front doors, the trio spotted the headmaster standing there holding court with a crowd of other students.

"Understand please, children. The lockdown shall be removed once certain parties come to their senses. This need not concern you; go back to your dorms and all shall be handled properly and speedily."

Harry was suddenly yanked to the side; he saw that it was Hermione who had grabbed him and he relaxed a bit.

"Why'd you grab me like that?"

"I didn't want the headmaster to see you. This is big; all the floos and doors have been locked down. No one can get in or out."

Harry growled, "I think the headmaster has finally lost the plot. He's in a royal snit that he no longer has control over me thanks to the custody hearing during the holidays." Hermione silently agreed with him, "So what now?"

"I don't know…wait… The Weasley Twins, they always seem to know how to get around without being seen. Let's go ask them," she suggested.

Harry smirked, "Well, they _have_ been behaving themselves lately…"

* * *

**The Fat Lady portrait guardian for Gryffindor Tower**

"Hello, milady. How are you doing today?" Harry politely inquired. The painting of a corpulent woman smiled prettily back.

"I'm doing quite well, thank you. It's nice to know that there are _some_ people who know how to ask nicely for things. Who or what is it that you need?"

"We need to know if the Weasley Twins are inside and if they are, would they please come out so we can talk to them?" Hermione answered.

Holding up a finger for the kids to wait, the Lady got up from her stool and disappeared behind the edge of her frame. She reappeared a moment later stating that the Twins would be out shortly. The hidden door swung open a moment later and the infamous 'Devil Twins' Fred and George Weasley stepped out.

With an evil yet curious glint in their eyes, the one on the left asked, "So what brings you two young badgers to the House of the Lions?"

"Huh, no twinspeak today?" Harry asked in surprise.

The second twin cleared his throat and shuffled his feet a bit, "We were told that to continue doing so would result in another embarrassing punishment. So what was it you needed?"

"The castle has been locked down. No one can get in or out, the floos have been shut down or rerouted to the headmaster's office and the owls can't do their jobs. We were wondering if you had any ideas?"

The twins glanced at each other in silent communication, a twitch of a head, a blink of an eye was all that passed between them.

"We might; what's in it for us?"

"Well, I would think that whoever it is that's been handing out your punishments found out that you've been cooperating, they just might give you a reward," Hermione commented airily. Twin one raised an eyebrow questioningly but didn't say anything but did motion to his brother.

"Fair enough, where would you like to hold a conference?"

"How about Professor Sprout's office? Would you have a problem if she were to know about your ideas?"

Twin two hemmed about that, "We'd really like to keep that a secret but needs must, I guess."

* * *

**Professor Sprout's office**

It looked like a war council. Harry, Hermione, the Twins as well as Professors Sprout, Flitwick, McGonagall and Snape were gathered around a table. Twin one, George placed a worn out looking sheaf of parchment onto the table and nervously glanced around at the adults.

"You promise that whatever is revealed won't be held against us?"

"Just get on with it Mister Weasley," Minerva growled.

Both Twins pulled their wands out and tapped the parchment while simultaneously intoning, "We solemnly swear we are up to no good!"

The previously empty parchment soon became detailed with gracefully appearing lines and writing. A message swirled into existence at the top _,_ _ **'Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs, Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-makers are proud to present the Marauder's Map.'**_ Everyone bar the Twins were astounded at the level of detail the map presented. There were moving dots with name tags attached showing the position of everyone within the castle. Every classroom, hallway and corner of the grounds were displayed; even the hidden passageways and shortcuts!

"This…this is exquisite…" breathed Flitwick, "The charm work alone is astounding. Wherever did you get it?"

"Nicked it from Filch's office, first year," replied Fred with a proud smirk.

Minerva and Severus groaned in unison, "Well, this explains how those miscreants were able to avoid the staff during their time here." Severus nodded and added, "As well as how they were able to ambush pretty much anyone they wanted."

Harry was puzzled, "Who were they?"

Severus waved his hand for Minerva to take this one, "The Marauders were four students of mine, one of which was your father, Mr. Potter. I'm not sure which is which though," she answered as she gestured to the names. The Twins were goggled by the new knowledge that Harry Potter was the son of one of their heros.

"We'll come back to that later. For now, we need to know how to get passed Albus' defenses," Pomona said as she pored over the layout of the map.

The Twins helped them understand the inner workings of the map, pointing out several hidden passageways and shortcuts.

"The one-eyed witch passageway would be your best bet for getting out of the castle undetected. Her tunnel leads to the cellar of Honeydukes."

* * *

Plans set, the senior staff minus Severus set out to the statue of the one-eyed witch. Minerva tapped her wand on the crone's hump and spoke the password, "Dissendium" which caused the statue to move forward just enough to permit entry to the tunnel. After walking for what seemed forever but was in reality only ten minutes, they emerged just where the twins said they would.

"I really love those Marauders," Flitwick quipped, "to pull all this off without anyone knowing is astounding."

"I don't think they were responsible for the tunnels though," commented Pomona who had been examining some of the markings on the walls of the tunnels, "Judging from the inscriptions here, the Founders or perhaps their descendants were the ones who created these tunnels to escape from muggle persecution."

"Maybe not but to create the map and tie it into the wards that would allow them to _find_ the tunnels in the first place…"

When they emerged from the hidden cellar entrance, Minerva sent out a Patronus messenger to Amelia who was no doubt waiting for them at the main gates trying to get in. While they were waiting for the cavalry, the three professors spoke quietly amongst themselves about what else needed to be done and to puzzle out why the headmaster seemed to have gone insane. They heard footsteps and naturally assumed that it was the DMLE.

They thought wrong…

Albus stepped into view with a disappointed look on his face, "Professors. You wound me greatly thinking that you could just bypass my instructions for everyone to stay in the castle. What I do, I do for the Greater Good and I won't allow anyone to thwart my plans. I'm sorry to say this but you all will have to be restrained." He leveled his new 'old' wand at them and began to speak the spell to incarcerate them. A red flash of light caused the old man to fall to the ground in an unconscious heap.

Amelia Bones stepped out from around the corner as well as the rest of her team. She re-holstered her wand and directed her Aurors to bind the headmaster and prep him for transport. Glancing over at the surprised professors, she gave them a small smile.

"Just in the nick of time, eh?


	17. Chapter 17

**Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Director Amelia Bones' Office, the following day after Albus' arrest.**

Amelia was sitting at her desk busy filling out the forms that made up the mountainous monstrosity that came with the job of being Director: Everything from approving new classes at the Auror Academy to dealing with the requests of the staff to replace the usual generic teas with something that had more flavor. Sighing in annoyance once more, she continued to scribble her name on the line for her signature.

She hit the rune on her desk to contact her secretary, "Samantha? Would you be a dear and come in here please?" Samantha shuddered; the last time that Director Bones was this polite, it didn't bode well for the staff or Aurors.

Upon entering the office, Samantha stood at the ready to bear the brunt of her boss' temper. Amelia held up a case report by just two fingers and a sneer on her face, "Find the idiot who submitted this garbage and have them report to me, immediately." Samantha grabbed the report but hesitated briefly at the door and turned back.

"Boss? Is there something bothering you? Besides the report, I mean."

Amelia leaned back in her seat, scrubbed her face with her hands and let out a low growl, "No, Samantha, I'm fine. Really...sort of... It's just all this damn paperwork that's killing me. I'd love to have a charmed desk or box that once I'm done with a form, I could drop it into a designated area and have it automatically sign my name. My wrist starts hurting even if I'm not writing."

Samantha quietly nodded her understanding before leaving. Just as she left, the intercom on Amelia's desk buzzed.

Amelia pushed the accept button and the voice of the department's jailer floated through, "Just wanted to let you know that Albus is awake and ranting up a storm. What are your instructions?"

Amelia's grin was shark-like _'Finally something to brighten my day'_ , "Let him stew for a while longer. Change the light levels to early morning but give him something to eat like whatever they have for lunch so it throws off his sense of timing. Put a couple of drops of a mild sleeping potion in his food then wake him after an hour. I want him disoriented when it's time to question him. He's too slippery otherwise. Keep me posted."

* * *

**Hufflepuff Common Room**

Hermione stopped her reading and stretched her arms above her head then scratched her fingers through her hair. A chirrup sounded next to her and a furry paw tapped her on the leg.

She giggled, "I'm sorry, Mrs. Norris. I had to stretch out some kinks in my back." She slowly ran her fingers through the cat's fur, tickling and teasing the light and fluffy strands around the cat's cheeks. Mrs. Norris closed her eyes in contentment. Hermione glanced around the room and spotted Harry still holding court with some of his friends. They appeared to be holding some kind of contest, especially seeing as how Harry was blindfolded and being handed various bits and pieces of wood and things.

"This is… cedar."

There were whispers of amazement at how he could know that without looking at it. Hermione rolled her eyes; cedar had a distinctive scent to it. _'Anyone should've known that.'_ She continued her ministrations on Mrs. Norris who'd in turn started purring loudly and rolled onto her back so Hermione could get to a new (and neglected) portion of her petting.

"Hey, Hermione. What's your shirt say this week?" came the bubbly voice of Hannah. Hermione leaned back and tugged on the front of her shirt so it could be read more easily. Mrs. Norris grumbled at the interruption.

"I tried…to be normal…once. Worst two minutes…of my life!" Hannah slowly read out then giggled, "that's definitely you. You're not normal in the least yet you make it seem so _normal_." She giggled again and settled down next to her bushy-haired friend.

Hermione blew her a raspberry, "What's up?"

Hannah shook her head, "Not much. I've finished my homework and don't really have anything special in mind." She eyed the cat nervously, "Do you think that Mrs. Norris would mind having someone else pet her? She looks so fluffy and soft."

Mrs. Norris settled that question by reaching out with a paw and dragging Hannah's hand over to her fluffy head.

"I'd say that's a yes," Hermione laughed as the other girl began gently scratching the cat behind her ears.

"So what's your opinion as to what happened with the headmaster yesterday? Why he locked down the castle?"

Hermione pinked a bit, "I'm not allowed to say. Professors Sprout and McGonagall forbade everyone who was there not to talk about it." Hannah nodded her head understandingly.

"What's Harry doing?"

Hermione chuckled, "He and his friends are playing a game where they're trying to stump him in asking to identify various woods or cores and things. He's not failed yet and they've been playing for nearly twenty minutes."

"Did you hear that Professor Quirrell got arrested? I heard that he tried to extort money from one of the wealthier pureblood families in exchange for giving their son better grades," Hannah whispered conspiratorially.

Hermione shook her head, "I heard that he tried to make an example of Marcus Flint in class and got caught up somehow."

The two girls kept giggling and coming up with more bizarre rumors that were floating around the Hogwarts' Rumor Mill.

* * *

Life at Hogwarts for Hermione Granger wasn't all fun and games. Despite her best efforts, she did develop an enemy or two amongst the others in her year group. One wasn't _really_ an enemy. Padma Patil was more like competition to see who was the smartest girl in their year. _'Honestly, it's not like it's that difficult to be smart. All the rest had to do was to crack open a book once in a while! Sometimes I think that the magical world operates on pure inertia.'_

It was the red-headed walking stomach known as Ronald Weasley who was her true enemy. To this day, she still didn't have a clue as to what set him off but from that point onwards, he'd make rude comments about her in specific and muggleborns in general. It made her wonder time after time why he kept up the hostility, especially after getting a visit from his father and publicly humiliated into giving an apology to the school; the brat… er, boy no longer made such comments out loud and in public but in snide comments between classes and in the halls. _'It's almost like he enjoys the punishment.'_

Both she and Harry tried to be the better people and let the adults take care of things but sometimes, that just didn't work. Case in point…

* * *

"I don't know why that muggleborn bird is even bothering to learn Arithmancy. It's not like she'll need it when stuck in the house taking care of her husband and their children. My mother says that all a girl needs to learn how to do are house-cleaning charms and know how to cook," Ronald was heard saying to another couple of first year Gryffindor boys as a third year girl walked past carrying an Arithmancy textbook in her arms.

Hermione glanced over at Harry and a couple of others that they had made friends with. All of them rolled their eyes and shook their heads in exasperation.

"I think that it's unnatural to allow girls into the same classes as the boys. It's a waste of time, really. Better for the teachers use their talents teaching the boys who will actually have a use for that knowledge than stupid girls who will just waste their time by becoming mothers after graduating. Everyone knows the only reason why girls go to school is to attract a husband."

All the muggleborns within hearing range felt their jaws hit the floor with that statement. ' _Just how out of touch were some of these wixen?'_ Most wondered.

Hermione's eyes got that glint that Harry knew so well. A prank was being planned…

* * *

_**After Potions class…** _

"Professor? I was wondering if you'd like to assist in another prank?" Hermione asked Severus one day after classes ended.

Severus got that look on his face that would've scared a Dementor, "What'd you have in mind?"

She related the comments she'd overheard Weasley the Youngest saying to his friends and said that she needed a way to retaliate in a way that would cause the kid to hopefully think twice before making such sexist comments again. She also mentioned that she was originally going to let the adults deal with it but frankly, it had gone on long enough and needed to be stopped.

Severus thought about it for a moment, "You don't have anything in that Rune arsenal of yours?"

"I do but I'm getting recognized as being a rune savant and don't want anything to be pinned on me, even remotely. I was thinking of a potion or maybe even a compulsion but I'm not sure as to how to pull that off."

Severus drummed his fingers lightly on his desk, "The potion I could definitely help you with. The compulsion charm, well maybe you ought to consider Professor Flitwick. I know he's getting fed up with the boy's antics as well. Granted, I could help teach you how to perform a compulsion charm but it's not my specialty. Besides, what is it that you want to accomplish with all of this?"

Hermione shrugged and waved her hands then paced around in front of the desk, "I don't know, that's the thing. I was leaning towards some kind of reaction that forces him to do something every time he thinks or says something bad about muggleborns or girls."

Severus nodded then held up a finger as he rose from his chair and headed to the fireplace. He called Professor Flitwick and asked the other man to come to his office as soon as possible. Flitwick arrived not twenty minutes later and dusted himself off.

"What's the problem, Sev… Oh! Miss Granger, what seems to be the problem?"

Severus waved his hand over to Hermione who in turn explained her problem to her Charms professor.

Filius nodded thoughtfully, "Yes, I see the problem. I don't understand why Professor McGonagall hasn't dealt with this yet. Well, let's brainstorm. You don't want to use your runes because they've become rather recognizable. A potion is too easily counteracted, no offense Severus," Severus waved that off as he pulled over some homework that needed to be graded.

"Professor Snape suggested that you could teach me how to cast the compulsion charm?" Hermione ventured.

Filius flinched slightly, "That's rather dangerous, especially for a first year such as yourself.

"How about giving him a box of treats laced with a potion and triggered by a rune to produce a charm-like effect?" Severus commented without looking up as he worked on his grading.

Hermione cocked her head, "I like it but what effect do you suggest it have? I want to punish him for saying such sexist things." Her eyes brightened, "Oooh! How about the result of this whole thing is to get him to believe that he's not allowed to eat anything put in front of him unless he starts saying positive things about girls and muggleborns?"

Severus waggled his hand, silently suggesting that it was an okay idea but to keep going.

"Huh, I'd say make him about as talented as he thinks those muggleborns are but I don't know, he's already pretty useless." Hermione giggled while Filius admonished his colleague.

The room was silent for a few moments except for Severus' quill scratching out grades and corrections.

Hermione broke the silence with a giggle, "How about I get Harry to make a fake copy of Ronald's wand? Then float a rumor that the mysterious person who's been correcting the Twins' behaviors has now taken an interest in his misdeeds and that Ronald will only regain his magic when he makes amends towards the muggleborns and girls in general."

Severus slowly raised his head as Filius simultaneously turned and stared at her. Both professors got a gleam in their eyes.

* * *

_**Meanwhile back at the Ministry…** _

It was the fourth cycle of giving Albus sleeping draught laced food and making him think that more time had passed than had actually done. By this point, the old man was thoroughly confused and off his game. Amelia had him brought into one of the interrogation rooms and began questioning him about his behaviors of late.

"Albus, by locking down the owlery and the castle, you've effectively committed kidnapping and mail tampering compounded by the number of children and staff within the school. You're looking at serious jail time if you don't tell me why you felt the need to do it!"

Albus was still looking rather flushed; his hair in disarray and he was wavering in his chair a bit, "I've told you before Minerva. What I do is for the Greater Good. I would've released everyone back to their normal activities once I regained control of the boy. Those idiotic muggles have no right to take away my control of The-Boy-Who-Lived."

"Really? Do tell." She sensed that he didn't even realize that he'd made that little slip-up.

Albus' eyes were glazed slightly as if he were just repeating an oft told memory, "The boy needs to be tested and I'm the only one capable of knowing how and what to do. It's essential for the betterment of Magical Britain."

"Tested for what though?"

"Oh, hello Gellert! Well, when he was brought to me after that Halloween night, I detected a cluster of Dark magic within that scar of his. I later realized that it's a Horcrux and that the boy needed to die if I'm to vanquish Voldemort for good. I wanted to keep him in the muggle world away from the influences of our world and kept pliable for when it was time to come to Hogwarts. Those blasted muggles were supposed to keep him humble and even beaten down but they failed…"

"But why test him?" _'Gellert? As in Gellert Grindlewald?'_

Albus blinked heavily, the lack of sleep clearly affecting his cognizance of being interrogated, "I wanted to see what would happen if the Horcrux were cut off from magic. I thought I told you this, Tom? What would happen if it were to take over the host? Would it trigger a possession if stressed by the host being beaten and oppressed? There are so many unanswered questions as to the capabilities of such magic. I'm getting older and I have so much to do. If the Horcrux acted the way I suspected, then I'd be able to replace it with one of my own and live forever."

Amelia could only stare at him in horror. The so-called 'Leader of the Light' was… _Dark._ Dark in a way that would make even Croaker puke.

"What do you know of Voldemort? Do you think he's still alive as you've said before?"

Albus hummed to himself and nodded, "Yes, Gellert. He was even teaching Defense against the Dark Arts until recently. Ha! Stupid Unspeakables… I _made_ Voldemort, do they really think I wouldn't keep track of him?"

"You made him?"

"Uh-huh. I found him as a boy in a muggle orphanage back in the early thirties. Gave him a place in Hogwarts. I had planned this with Gellert ages ago. He'd been tracing Slytherin's blood line for a while and discovered the boy's existence somehow. I nudged the boy in the direction of all that Dark magic and turned a blind eye towards his misdeeds. It's funny Horace, to think that no one's connected the name of Tom Marvolo Riddle to Lord Voldemort. Every time he spouts off with 'I Am Lord Voldemort' he's telling everyone his true name. Silly really, magical Britain is scared of an anagram! Anyways, I knew that eventually those who would stand up in defiance of the Greater Good would need to be distracted fighting against something else while I subtly made my changes and guidance of our laws. I was the one who got rid of so many of the classes that would've made things easier to integrate the muggleborns into our society. I wanted the purebloods to think that those upstart muggleborns were the reason why so many of our traditions were getting trampled on and repealed. If they're angry, it's easier to lead them in the direction I wanted them to go. If it causes a few muggleborns to be…removed, so be it."

"What was that about Grindlewald?"

"Poor Gellert, he always wanted to make the world over using violence and murder. I told him repeatedly that to truly change things, he needed to become an educator like me and quietly change the minds of the populace through 'structured education.' I have the children of the future leaders for nearly nine months each year. Plenty of time to get them to look up on me as their leader and savior."

He dissolved into a fit of maniacal giggles…

* * *

**Gryffindor Common Room**

Ronald Weasley was in a bit of a pickle. Ostensibly he was _supposed_ to be doing his homework but he just didn't care. He planned on foisting it off onto one of the muggleborn swots later and just tell them some sob story if they complained. The problem at hand was that no one wanted to play chess with him and he was bored. He lazily flicked his wand to get it to produce bubbles… but nothing happened. Grunting in displeasure, he sat up and tried again but still got no results.

"Stupid wand, nothing ever works right for me," he grumbled. He got up and wandered over to where his brother Percy was studying. _'Stupid Percy is always studying. Who does he think he's trying to impress?'_ "Hey, Perce? My wand isn't working," he whined.

Percy sighed; he wasn't going to be able to pass his OWLs if he kept getting interrupted, "Ron, I don't have time to deal with this. Go talk to Professor McGonagall, maybe she can offer a suggestion." He waved him off and turned back to his books.

Ron grimaced and left in a huff. He got outside and remembered that Potter was supposedly skilled in making wands, maybe he could help!

_'Where was he though?'_

* * *

Ron looked high and low in all the places he thought Potter would be. The problem was though; he was looking in all the wrong places. Ron kept looking in all the places that _he_ thought the famous Boy-Who-Lived would go like the Quidditch pitch or the Great Hall. In fact, Harry was in the library working on digging up information about a creature he'd seen in one of his trances. The problem was that no one had ever heard of the creature so he was stuck slogging through the magizoology section of the library. Madam Pince was assisting him but she was getting frustrated.

"Are you sure that the creature exists and isn't just something from your imagination?"

"Pretty sure. It's supposed to live underground near hot springs and eats a diet of moss and fungi. According to my vision, it resembled a Corgi but had a curving set of horns on the top of its head."

Irma Pince scrunched her face in thought but shook her head, "I don't recognize that. What about talking with Professor Kettleburn or Hagrid? They might know."

Harry sighed as he replaced the book he was holding back onto the shelf, "It's a good as an idea as any, I suppose. Do you know where the professor's office is?"

Irma directed him to look for an office just inside the hallway that led out to the greenhouses. He left the library and headed off to see the man about a creature.

* * *

_**Later at lunch…** _

The Hogwarts Rumor Mill was on full blast that day. Somehow word had gotten out that Ronald Weasley had lost his magic and that's why his wand no longer responded to him. The reasons for how this came to be flew back and forth, getting wilder with each telling. The boy in question was currently in the hospital wing being tended to by Madam Pomfrey. Hermione sat back and reveled in the chaos while Harry smirked at his best friend.

"I wonder how long it'll take people to think of taking his wand in for examination?" he asked her. She shrugged in response.

"You're seen as the in-house expert in wand crafting so…never."

Draco sat down with a beatific smile on his face, "I just heard that the Weasel lost his magic and is gonna be kicked out of Hogwarts. Do you think the Ministry will force him into the muggle world?"

Harry snorted and shook his head in exasperation, "Draco, that's not going to happen. Besides, I already examined his wand and there's nothing wrong with it other than being a bit beat up and in desperate need of a good polishing. The problem lies with Ronald himself."

With that statement, the whole Great Hall went silent.

"Oh? What problem is that, Mr. Potter?" They looked up to see Professor McGonagall approaching.

"His wand and subsequently his magic are rebelling against his worldviews. Magic has hinted to me that it's tired of being denigrated by Weasley who thinks that magic shouldn't be taught at the same levels to muggleborns or girls. His view that girls should only be taught the things necessary to cook, clean and raise children is causing his magic to rebel."

"Magic _hinted_ all that to you? How?" She asked incredulously while internally cursing the redheaded git.

Harry looked abashed, "Well, you ever see me go into a trance when I get prepped to craft a wand?" Minerva shook her head no. "Well, when I do, I get a vision of what the wand and the magic associated with it, wants to be. In Ronald's case, I went into a trance to figure out why his wand was no longer working for him. It's hinted to me that it's tired of being tied to such a lazy and rude boy who thinks girls are subservient to boys, girls who should be grateful to do his homework, et cetera. It's going to keep abandoning him until he changes his ways."

There were shivers of dread from everyone who heard his explanation.

* * *

**Director Bones' Office**

Amelia was going over the medical reports on Albus and shivered with dread at the thought that what might've happened if he'd not been brought in when he was and yet tinged with a strong amount of anger for the continued lack of required mental health checks that should've been in place from the get go. _'If there's one thing that the muggle world has better than us, is in early psychiatric detection and treatment of potentially deranged people.'_ A knock on her door caused her to look up.

"Come in!" The door opened and Croaker walked in and carrying a rather thick file folder. Amelia groaned at the sight of it.

"What's in that?"

Croaker sat down and slid it over to her, "It's the vetting my team and I did for the surgeons to deal with Mr. Potter's scar."

Amelia sighed with relief, "Oh, good. I was hoping this would be done soon. Any problems?"

Croaker shook his head no then gestured at the folder she had been reading, "Problems?"

"It's the Healer's report on Albus' degrading mental health. Let's just put this way: It's bad…" Croaker raised an eyebrow and held out his hand. She slid the folder over and sat in silence as the two of them read their respective reports.

After a few moments, Amelia looked up at the choking sounds that Croaker was making, "Got to the testing part that Albus wanted to perform on the boy, right?"

"Uh-huh. Also about the so-called 'traps' on the third floor corridor."

Amelia snapped her fingers, "Oh, yeah! That reminds me I need to send a team up to deal with all that." She reached for a pad of paper and a quill and scratched out a note, "A Cerberus? What the heck were they thinking?"

Croaker made a noncommittal noise, "I'd say that it was Hagrid that offered up the beast. It seems like his style. I'm just glad he didn't offer anything more dangerous."

Amelia pulled a face, "Like what?"

"He could've used any number of creatures reported to be living in the Forbidden Forest. I've heard there's a colony of Acromantulas in there." Amelia groaned and dropped her head before jabbing a finger onto the intercom rune.

"Samantha, get in here. Bring a pad and a quill."

Samantha entered and was given a long list of department heads to be called before being dismissed. ' _The look on the poor girl's face was rather funny'_ Amelia thought.

"So, before the others get here, is there anything special about the surgeons I should know about? I really don't want to go digging through the file too deeply right now."

Croaker cleared his throat and shook his head, "Nah, all are either muggleborn who left our world, Squibs who couldn't find work here or the parents of muggleborns. They all pretty much guessed who the patient will be from the limited information we gave them but are bound by patient-Healer confidentiality rules not to talk about it with others."

"Oh, before I forget, I want you and a couple of Unspeakables to go with me and the team I'm forming to Hogwarts. I'd imagine there's going to be a need for your talents." Croaker nodded and gave his farewell as he headed out of the office.

* * *

_**Ten minutes later…** _

It was a crowded room once all the relevant department heads arrived at Amelia's office.

"Okay! Listen up everyone. I want each of you to pull together your teams and get ready to head up to Hogwarts. Harold, you and your beastmasters are going to be having one heck of a battle. I got reports of illegal ownership and usage of Class 5 creatures inside the castle, dangerous traps and a whole colony of creatures in the Forbidden Forest."

Harold raised his hand, "Can you give us any clue as to what's up there?"

Amelia narrowed her eyes as she read off the report, "A colony of Acromantula in the Forest and a Cerberus in a locked room on the third floor." Harold and the others paled.

"Next," she continued, "Ward Masters; you're going to go down to the Central Wardstone and figure out what sort of nightmare the school's wards are like. I've got to imagine that after a thousand years, it's gonna be a mess." The lead ward master nodded thoughtfully and scratched out some notes.

"Keep in mind folks that school is still in session so if you find anything too dangerous on first glance, don't be a hero. Call it in and we'll figure out how to deal with it."

* * *

**Hogwarts**

Amelia and her team arrived just in time to see the Weasley Twins screaming their heads off and running down the hallways at full speed yet there was nothing chasing them as far as anyone could detect. Minerva arrived a moment later and greeted her friend.

Amelia gestured in the direction the Twins ran off to, "What was _that_ about?"

Minerva's face grew puzzled, "To what are you referring to? This is Hogwarts, strange is normal."

That got some chuckles from the others; Amelia described what happened when they arrived.

"Oh, good. It worked then. I was wondering if the charm would hold."

"Minerva! What did you do to those boys?" Amelia's gasp and shock at the Deputy Headmistress caused the older woman to laugh.

Waving her hand dismissively, "Don't worry, Amelia. It's nothing permanent. The Twins are the resident prankster terrors here. Ever since around the middle of last September, someone's been fairly successful at curbing their excess…enthusiasm for chaos."

"And this charm you mentioned?"

Minerva shrugged, "My contribution to the ongoing battle. It's nothing harmful, just a bit of a temporary shock. I found it in one of our Charms books in the library for dealing with unruly people and applied it to their homework I recently handed back. It causes them to see their worst nightmare charging down on them for an hour or two."

One of the beast handlers spoke up, "What could be their worst nightmare?"

"Their mother saying that she was going to be rooming in with them for the rest of their education, I'd wager. She's made that threat a few times," Minerva commented drily then turned back to Amelia, "So what brings you all by?"

Amelia shook her head to clear what she just learned and replied, "We're here to deal with the problems you seem to be having in this school. Class 5 creatures, unstable wards, curses…the works."

Minerva's eyes lit up, "Ah, that's wonderful! I'd been asking Albus for years to deal with some of the problems around here but he kept putting me off. Have at it, then."

* * *

Minerva called for a staff meeting in the teacher's lounge where Amelia took over and laid out the path that she and her team would be leading. Hagrid was understandably upset that his Cerberus, whom he called, 'Fluffy' would be removed from the castle, and that the colony of Acromantulas were going to be either forcefully removed or eliminated.

"But you can't! Dumbledore said that he needed Fluffy and I can't just ask Aragog and his family to leave. The forest has been their home for nearly fifty years!" He jumped out of his chair and started begging.

"Hagrid, a school is _not_ the place for such creatures to be allowed to live in! I don't know why Albus allowed you to keep these creatures but it's for the safety of the children. You wouldn't want the children to be hurt or killed, do you?" Amelia growled at him.

Hagrid wouldn't let it go though, "Fluffy is only a baby and wouldn't hurt a fly! He's a bit rambunctious but he never would hurt anyone."

Severus glanced at the others in the room and mutely shook his head. This always happened whenever someone talked about Hagrid's creatures in a negative light. He raised his hand to get Amelia's attention.

"Perhaps Hagrid, you would care to go with the beast handlers so you can show them just how…friendly Fluffy can be?" Hagrid perked up at that.

"I can do that! Thank you, Professor!"

Nearly everyone else rolled their eyes in exasperation.

"Fine, you can help us with the Cerberus but the Acromantulas _have_ to go! They're carnivorous and very intelligent. It's a wonder that no one's died from wandering into their webs in the first place. I won't have you interfering with this, Hagrid." Amelia warned the half-giant. Hagrid morosely nodded his head and settled back down into his chair.

"Next up is the wards. They're in pretty bad shape and need to be at the very least reset to something resembling their original configuration. Professor Babbling, I would like you to join the team to help them with any unforeseen problems."

Babbling nodded then spoke up, "Um, Minerva? Do you still have the Map or did you give it back to the Twins?" Several others murmured at the mention of that.

The Ward Master looked puzzled, "Map? What map?"

Minerva related the story to the man whose eyes nearly bugged out of his head before calling for an elf to relay the message to the Twins that she needed the Map in the teacher's lounge ASAP.

The Twins arrived to the lounge and cautiously entered; the look of terror and panic still evident in their eyes.

"Messrs. Weasley, glad you could join us. Do you have the map?"

Fred pulled it out of his bag and handed it over, nervously peering around the faces of the crowd, "Here, professor. We…uh, we need to get going. Our mother was right behind us."

"Minerva? I think they've had enough, don't you think?" Filius smugly suggested to his colleague. Minerva agreed and cast a _finite incantatum_ at the two boys. There was a halo of light and their eyes cleared.

"Twins, if you would walk the warding team through the map?"

The warding team and the Twins excused themselves. There were exclamations of surprise from the adults occasionally throughout the rest of the meeting. Amelia outlined the rest of the projects her team were going to be covering.

At the end she asked, "Are there any questions or suggestions? No? Then let's get going."


	18. Chapter 18

**Hogwarts Third Floor Corridor**

Amelia was a woman on a mission. Assisting her were a team of Unspeakables, Beast Masters, Cursebreakers, Aurors, Hagrid and Minerva. All of that manpower to deal with the mess created by the idiocy and madness that was Albus Dumbledore.

At the base of the Grand Staircase, Minerva tapped a slightly different colored brick and the stairs ground to a halt then reset themselves to the most direct route to the third floor. Amelia glanced at her and nodded.

"I'm impressed. I didn't know that anyone could direct the stairs."

Minerva snorted lightly, "It's not something the staff wants taught to the students. Heaven knows what the Weasley Twins would've done with that knowledge." The Twins had gone off with the Ward Masters to assist in checking out the castle wards and to make sure the Map still worked.

The assembly headed up the stairs only to come to a screeching halt halfway up. Peeves the Poltergeist was hovering above the landing right below their destination with a maniacal look on his face. Minerva pushed her way up to the front and addressed the specter.

"Peeves, now is not the best time to be messing around. Please go bother someone else."

Peeves continued to look crazed and now began to leer at the women of the group, reaching out with his hands and making grabby motions. Just as he was about to reach them, Peeves suddenly vanished.

"Professor?" a slightly hurried voice called out from above. The group of adults peered up to see a bushy-haired girl leaning over the banister looking curiously back at them, "Would you have happened to see where the orb went?"

"Orb, Miss Granger?" Minerva asked.

Hermione nodded her bushy head, "Yeah, it's an orb about the size of a large marble and can project various images like ghosts. I lost it coming down the stairs."

"Would one of these images be Peeves by any chance?"

Hermione shrugged a shoulder, "I think so."

One of the Aurors noticed something at her feet and picked it up. It matched the girl's description. "Is this it?"

Hermione beamed at the Auror, "Yes! Thank you so much." She reached out with a gloved hand and the orb rocketed out of the Auror's grip. She grabbed it then disappeared as well.

Amelia and the others looked to Minerva for clarification but all the elder professor did was shake her head, "Trust me, it's better off if you don't know. The Unspeakables though, might want to take note of her." The hooded Unspeakables nodded silently.

* * *

The team reached the third floor landing and began to examine the entrance for any signs of security. There weren't any which caused Amelia to turn a nasty shade of red. She glared at Minerva before gesturing the team to move on. They reached the door leading into Fluffy's room and checked it over for traps and wards. Again, it came up clean.

"Minerva…" Amelia growled.

"In our defense, Hagrid is not allowed to use magic so he needed to be able to come and go to feed and care for the dog."

One of the curse breakers rolled his eyes and snorted in derision before muttering, "Still could've put up an age-line at the very least to keep anyone under the age of seventeen out."

The door opened after a simple application of a charmed key that Hagrid had in his possession, "Albus gave it to me since I can't use magic, otherwise someone would've needed to use _alohamora_ to open it."

The others either pinched the bridge of their noses, rubbed their foreheads or demonstrated in some way their frustration at the idiocy of that idea. Hagrid entered the room to the sounds of a triplet of loud barks. He set up and played a tune from an enchanted record player while simultaneously petting and gently talking to Fluffy. The Beast Masters watched in awe as the half-giant of a man expertly handled the Cerberus into a peaceful slumber.

Harold tapped Hagrid on the arm, "When this is over, come see me. I think we might have a need for someone of your talents."

Hagrid was pleased but also concerned, "I never even passed my OWLs. I got expelled in my third year."

Harold smiled, "Yet that was nearly fifty years ago, right? I'll have to quiz you on some topics but we call this 'on-the-job-training' and is a perfectly acceptable alternative to those who don't pass their OWLs or NEWTs."

Another Beast Master asked Hagrid how they got the Cerberus into the room in the first place.

"Ah, that was the Headmaster's doing. If I remember, he removed a section of the wall and floated Fluffy in while he slept."

Two of the cursebreakers were examining the trapdoor and pulled it open after a moment. One of them looked down and thought he saw something slithering. He conjured up a ball of light and dropped it in. The rapidly retreating vines and roots of a nasty infestation of Devil's Snare gave him a bit of pause.

"Finally, a worthy trap," he muttered to his partner before turning towards Amelia, "Boss? The next trap looks to be Devil's Snare. Burn it or just contain it?"

"Burn it," came the response so the Cursebreaker pulled out a large vial of something that glowed an eerie green and tossed it down the trapdoor. There was a sound of shattering glass and the Breaker quickly closed the door.

Minerva was curious and turned to Amelia for an explanation, "It's a relatively new invention of the cursebreaking teams. It's a super fast herbicide that kills everything plant-based it touches within 30 seconds. It also smells horrific which is why he closed the door. When the time's up, we'll cast an air purifying charm."

* * *

Once the time was up and the air cleared, the group lowered themselves down the trapdoor using an old-fashioned rope ladder. Hagrid stayed behind, rightly thinking that the ladder would never hold up to his weight and also to make sure that nothing happened to his beloved Cerberus. The dying remnants of the Devil's Snare twitched and writhed but made no attempt to capture the passing intruders. Next up was a cavern with flying buttresses and a single window way up high for a bit of light during the daytime. The air above them was filled with a cloud of twinkling…something.

"Birds?" inquired one Auror.

"No… they're keys!" exclaimed another as one of the twinkling objects came closer. The Auror closest to the door tried the handle but found it to be locked and the standard unlocking charm failed to open it. The Auror narrowed her eyes and peered up at the mass of flying keys.

"I think we need to somehow catch the key that fits the lock. Judging by the condition of the lock, it's going to be something larger and clunkier."

Amelia growled again and whipped out her wand, "We don't have time for this! _Immobulus!_ " Her area wide immobilization charm hit the swarm and they all fell to the ground with a cacophony of clinking metal on stone. She rummaged around the pile of straining keys and picked up the correct one then inserted it into the lock and pushed open the door.

She led the way into the next room and glanced at Minerva, "Well?"

Minerva pursed her lips, "This one was my idea. The purpose of this was to play your way across. However there is of course, a secret to bypass it that only Albus and I knew about." She led the group along the edge of the far wall where there were white tiles laid out in an oddly specific pattern on the floor.

One of the Unspeakables studied the pattern and shook its head slightly in amusement.

* * *

They paused for a moment to allow the group to reassemble from the bypass path. Amelia was beyond anger at this point; she was an inch away from dragging the entire staff out of the school in chains and shutting down the school.

"Minerva, what was the whole point of these so-called 'traps'? They're so simple a first-year could figure them out."

Minerva hung her head in shame, "Albus told some of us at the beginning of the school year that his old mentor, Nicolas Flamel had a situation brewing and needed to hide his famous Philosopher's Stone somewhere safe. It was originally stored in a vault in Gringott's but Albus had it moved here, ostensibly to keep a closer eye on it. He then asked us to contribute some ideas to trap or at the very least slow down a potential thief rumored to be after the stone."

Amelia glared incredulously at her old friend, "and you went along with it?"

Minerva threw up her hands, "He was only asking for ideas at first! I thought as did as everyone else he asked, that he'd be doing the work himself. Then he started asking for our assistance in finalizing the traps as he was needed to get the school up and running for the coming year. Hagrid supplied the dog, Pomona refused; stating that it wasn't in her job description to be participating in such hare-brained schemes. Filius wasn't here at the time as he was visiting relatives and Severus flat out refused to help. I never got anything beyond a 'Hell No.'"

Amelia gestured at the previous trap, "And that was your idea."

Minerva nodded decisively, "Yes! It was _just_ that. An idea! Not once did I think that he'd actually do it but once he said that he'd created a life-sized version of Wizard's Chess, I had to come see for myself. He did a good job of the transfiguration, not surprising considering he was a transfiguration teacher himself once. The only modification I made was the pattern of tiles on the floor as the bypass. When you look at it from the board, it reads with my name and the final strategy I used to defeat it."

* * *

The next room contained a mountain troll, one who was in desperate need of fresh air and treatment. The Beast Masters stuck an emergency portkey to its hide and it disappeared in a brilliant flash of magical light. Dusting his hands off, the team member noted to his boss that he sent it to their holding cells in Dover.

"Dover? Why there?" Minerva asked.

"It's actually inside the cliff face. The cliffs of Dover are made from limestone and provide an extensive network of caverns that act as a waypoint for Customs on and off the island. Saves time and energy than trying to transport magical animals and goods in and out of Southampton Harbor."

"How did you bypass the anti-portkey wards that the school has?" Amelia inquired. Before the man could speak, Minerva cleared her throat.

"Um, those anti-portkey wards only work for incoming travelers. They were never designed for outgoing and we've just never enlightened anyone."

Amelia just sighed in annoyance before gesturing to continue onwards.

* * *

As they were moving towards the next room, Amelia smirked inwardly at a couple of her Aurors as she overheard them talking about the possibility of recreating this gauntlet of sorts back at their Academy.

"It _would_ make an interesting test for the trainees, eh? Start a list of some of the things you'd like to see." The Auror nodded as she pulled out a flip pad and quill and began making notes. The others made a point to sidle up next to her and offer suggestions.

They came to a crossroads of some sort. There were a couple of rough-hewn wooden doors leading off to destinations unknown.

"Minerva?" Amelia inquired while gesturing to the doors.

Minerva shrugged, "Dunno. I've never known about these doors. All Albus told me was the door to continue through the test was marked with an 'X.'"

"Okay, we'll look into them some other time unless the Unspeakables want to take a look in?" Croaker nodded his head and gestured to the door they were supposed to enter.

As they entered one by one through the door marked by the 'X,' Croaker held his assistant back.

"Go take a quick peek through those other doors if you can open them. If any appear to be locked, don't worry about it." His assistant nodded once and hurried off. They were back by the time the last member of the team went through the main door.

"All doors are locked but don't seem to be warded in any way obvious," they whispered to Croaker, "I set up a monitoring ward to let us know if anyone but us tries to enter and to stun them. Their revival can only be done by one of us." Croaker rubbed his chin and agreed silently before following the others.

* * *

The next room they came upon had ominous flames that sprang up when the last person crossed the threshold. Peering around the room, the only other thing in there was a table that contained a series of bottles with some kind of liquid in them and a piece of parchment with writing on them. Without even stopping, the Senior Cursebreaker cast a flame freezing charm on the flames and opened the door. Amelia had one of her Aurors gather up the bottles and the parchment as evidence.

The final room contained a large ornate mirror set in the center of a dais. The room itself was impressive as well. Sandstone columns lined the walls and bordered empty sconces for who knew what ancient purpose. An invisible light source illuminated the chamber from above. The whole vibe of the room was kind off-putting to many.

"Does anyone else get the feeling that this room was used for a different purpose than it is now?" Amelia's Senior Auror asked nervously. They all turned to the Cursebreakers who cast detection charms and noted that there was a ward that was indeed creating that eerie feeling. They removed it and everyone let out a sigh of relief.

"What was the purpose of that, do you suppose?" someone asked the room in general.

"Probably just theatrics, given that it was setup by the headmaster," someone else answered.

"Git."

Croaker moved up to the mirror and inspected the writing along the border. He murmured the inscription to himself before gazing into the reflective surface. He saw himself holding the stone and then saw his reflection dropping it into his pocket. A sudden increase in weight alerted him to the stone being placed into his own pocket. Shaking his head at the utter absurdity of it all, he removed the stone and held it up for examination by the others.

"That's it?" asked someone, incredulity dripping from his tone.

"It's not what I expected…"

"Hey, what's that on the underside?"

Croaker rotated it and there stuck to the underside was a sticker of some kind with words printed on its surface: 'Made in Taiwan' and a hand engraved message, 'Nice Try, Albus.'

* * *

**Main Hallway at the base of the Grand Staircase**

Once the team returned to the main hallway, Amelia dismissed her Aurors but held back the others. Harold and the other Beast Masters took Hagrid to his cabin for a chat about the various creatures he took care as part of his job. The Cursebreakers were talking quietly amongst themselves about some aspects of the traps they'd just witnessed. The Unspeakables were standing silently along one wall.

Amelia turned to Minerva, "Okay Minerva, is there anything else we need to deal with since we're up here?"

Minerva shrugged slightly as she thought about the question, "Well, do you want to have the Breakers check out the Defense Curse?" The Breaker Lead overheard and headed over.

"Is that still a thing?" he asked.

"Unfortunately. We've not had a decent professor since the late fifties." He sighed and waved his finger in a circle for his team to gather.

* * *

The Ward Masters arrived just then and the news wasn't good.

"The wards are an absolute disaster. There's redundancies for redundancies and wards for things that shouldn't even need to be here. We found the tap for the map and it's a wonder of elegance. We left that one in place but tagged everything else. Frankly, if I had my way; I'd recommend that we close the school, completely bring down the wards and reset them to their original configurations. I mean really, how many anti-muggle wards does a school need?"

"Did you find anything that could relate to the rumored curse on the Defense Professorship?" Amelia asked him.

The man shrugged, "Possibly. If we do shut everything down, we'll find it as we're reloading what should be there."

"How long would it take to do a complete recovery?"

The Lead Breaker scratched his chin, "With some preparation beforehand? About 3 hours."

Both Amelia and Minerva were surprised, "Really? That's all? You made it sound like it would take much longer."

"Hence the prep work. Without it, it would take at _least_ a week."

Minerva thought about it then stated, "What will it cost us?"

"About five thousand Galleons."

Minerva sighed, "The school doesn't have that much in liquid capital."

Amelia patted her on the arm, "The Ministry will take care of the cost," she turned to the Lead Breaker, "Get your team ready and start prepping." He nodded once and went back to his crew.

* * *

**Teacher's Lounge**

The Cursebreakers and Ward Masters left the school to go get what they needed to prepare for the resetting of the wards. Croaker pulled Amelia aside and told her that he and his team were heading back down to those mysterious doors they'd come across earlier. She agreed and asked to be kept in the loop on whatever they found. She then followed Minerva to the teacher's lounge to try and recover some semblance of sanity.

She found Minerva shakily trying to pour a cup of tea and took the pot from her friend's hands then pushed her towards the chairs.

"Sit. I'll do this. How do you take it?"

"Dash of milk and no sugar."

The two were silent for a while, each sipping from their cups.

"It's a lot to take in, isn't it? All that effort only to find out that Flamel tricked Albus into protecting a fake. I'm not surprised really. Disappointed, but not surprised." Amelia said after a moment.

"How so?"

"Flamel is supposedly over six hundred years old. Albus is the equivalent of a child in comparison. Do you really think that in all those centuries, Flamel hasn't come up against others that have tried to steal that Stone? I would bet a year's salary that Flamel has a box of those fakes lying around somewhere to hand out to idiots like Albus whenever they come sniffing around." Minerva nodded unhappily.

"On the bright side though, you do have a bit of a mystery down there in regards to those ancient looking doors. I wonder what's behind them?"

Minerva snorted into her cup, "Given how old the school is, I wouldn't be surprised if they're nothing more than broom closets."

"Close," rumbled the sudden voice of Croaker who was standing in the doorway with a knowing smirk on his bearded face.

Minerva jumped out of her chair in shock, "Don't _do_ that!" Amelia just laughed.

"What'd you find, Croaker?" she gestured to the teapot but the man shook his head.

"One of the doors did contain a closet. No brooms but there were remnants of supplies. Ancient and decayed stuff too. Not sure what it all was but we're taking it back to the DoM for further analysis. One door led to a series of cells; probably some kind of dungeon is my guess. Another led to what appears to be a small library but we didn't find any books or scrolls. A third door led to a set of stairs that let out near the gargoyle to the headmaster's office while the fourth and last door led to an ancient potion's laboratory we think. It's our initial guess that the room that contained the mirror is some kind of ritual room."

"Have you removed the mirror yet?"

Croaker shook his head, "No, not yet. I want to bring a team down to investigate further. We only peeked our heads in without actually entering the rooms except for the staircase, which is how we got up here so fast." He turned to face Minerva, "So what's with that Granger girl you mentioned earlier?"

"Resident Runes savant and burgeoning prankster. She's rumored to be the one who's taken on the task of curbing the Weasley Twins of their exuberance for mayhem. I'm not entirely sure _how_ she's done it but the results speak for themselves. I also think she has a couple of accomplices as well but I'm not sure."

* * *

**Hagrid's Hut**

While Amelia, Minerva and Croaker were talking; Harold and his Beast Master team were quizzing Hagrid on his knowledge of all things creepy and crawly. They quizzed him on the care and feeding of everything from arachnids to Zoolies, small insectoid creatures that fed on the nasal discharge of sick dragons. At the mention of dragons, Hagrid got a dreamy look on his face.

"I've always wanted a dragon as a pet. I know they're illegal to own in Britain but I can dream."

"Why didn't you then apply to work on one of the reserves?" one of the Beast Masters asked.

Hagrid shuffled his feet a bit, "Albus asked if I could hang around and help out on the grounds as he needed a gamekeeper since our last one died. That was about thirty years ago now that I think of it." He started petting his other dog, Fang behind the ears. Fang started to drool in delight.

The group of five continued to ask questions of just about everything that happened in and around the forest as well as what sort of creatures lived within. When he mentioned Aragog and his family, Harold remembered that Amelia had commented about the colony of Acromantula.

"I know that you need to remove Aragog and his family from the forest," Hagrid sniffed sadly, "It's just that he's my oldest friend here."

"He's got to be pretty close to dying from old age, don't you think? What's going to happen with the rest of his clan when they no longer have him leading?" Hagrid sniffed and shrugged unconcernedly.

"Never thought about it, really."

"Well, they're most likely going to try and invade other territories and might even attack the school since they know that the younger students are unable to defend themselves. That's why they need to be removed. We'll be calling in a larger team in the morning to round them up. They'll have the option of coming along quietly or be killed."

"What are you going to do with the ones that do go along?" Hagrid rumbled.

"There's a farm that's looking for some new spiders to supplement their current batch. If you want, you could visit the farm and check in to see how they're doing." Hagrid smiled sadly.

"I think they'd like that. Thanks."

* * *

_**Meanwhile…** _

Hermione found Harry digging through a pile of junk in the large storage room they'd discovered on the seventh floor. He was singing something to himself that she couldn't quite make out.

"Harry?"

"Hmmm?"

"Did you find anything interesting? I want to head downstairs and take a shower before dinner."

Harry straightened up and dusted himself off, "Yeah, I found a whole bunch of old wands and even a wizard's staff back that way." He gestured towards a tower of discarded portrait frames.

"Neat! Did you keep any of them?"

"Yup, found an old bag and filled it up. The staff is over there by the door. I also found a tiara but I couldn't get too close to it. It kept making my scar ache."

"Sounds like something you should mention to that Unspeakable you met in the infirmary," she replied to which he agreed.

"Oh! Another thing I found that might make Madam Pince happy is a whole row of shelves and bookcases full of really old looking books. Now that I think of it, maybe we should just get the entire staff up here to investigate. It's more than you and I could safely handle anyway."

Hermione pulled out that orb she'd found earlier in their search through all the junk in the room and activated a recording rune on her control glove, "Professor McGonagall. Please have all the staff including Madam Bones and Croaker if they're still in the castle come up to the seventh floor. Harry and I have found something you need to see." She then pressed the rune for 'Seek person' and sent it on its way.

"Have you figured out how that thing finds people?" Harry asked as he continued to dig through a basket of gemstones he'd discovered.

Hermione pulled the thin booklet from her pocket and held it up for him to see, "Instruction booklet. It was sitting in the same box as the glove and the orb itself. Once you go through the activation phase, it ties itself into the school's wards and I guess acts like the map? It just knows where everyone is at any given time? However it does it, it works so I'm not going to question it."

"When was it created? Does it have a date on it somewhere?" Harry asked as he held up an oblong piece of Lapis Lazuli and examined it for any flaws.

Hermione flipped through the front couple of pages, "Um… yeah. Here, I think it says…Wow!"

"What?"

"1216 A.D.; that's incredible!"

"Indeed it is, Miss Granger." The two kids whirled around to see the staff slowly entering the room with hushed and awed looks on their faces. Croaker was the one who spoke and approached them with a curious look on his face.

"May I see this?" he asked, holding out his hand for the glove.

She removed it and handed it over, "Where's the orb?" He held it up.

"Is there a return to sender feature?"

"Umm…yeah. Here, the rune for home or shelter."

* * *

While Croaker and Hermione were discussing the discovery of the orb and glove, Harry was showing off the basket of gemstones as well as some of the other things they'd discovered in their short time in the room. Minerva was agog at the sight of all the gemstones and other jewelery.

"I guess we don't have to worry about covering the cost of the re-warding plan, Amelia." Amelia huffed in response as she examined a goblet lying on a table.

Harry spotted Madam Pince and directed her to the row of books, then directed Madam Hooch to where they'd found some brooms. Flitwick was just standing there with a dopey expression on his face.

"Professor Flitwick? Is everything alright?" Harry asked the diminutive man.

"I had heard stories of an astounding room that could take the form of whatever the user needed it to be. It's rumored to have been created by Rowena Ravenclaw herself! However did you find this?"

"Cinnamon the Hufflepuff Sunroom Elf. She told us that all the elves know about this room. They call it the 'Come and Go Room' because it comes and it goes whenever they need it and it always has what they need. This room is called the Room of Hidden Things."

"The charm and enchantment work needed to pull this off," Filius breathed, "astounding!"

Harry remembered to tell Croaker about the tiara that made his scar ache then went back to where Severus was perusing through some bottles of unknown substances.

"Find anything?"

Severus huffed, "Probably a bunch of experiments in potion making that should've been destroyed in the first place. All this stuff here will need to be disposed of; I wouldn't want anyone to get hurt if we're going to be in here for any length of time. Did you find anything?" he asked Harry after returning a goopy bottle to the shelf.

"Yeah, I found a bunch of old wands, a wizard's staff and a basket of wand-quality gemstones. I'll probably keep just a small bag of each type then if the school wants it, they can have the rest of the contents; I'm not greedy."

* * *

The adults along with Harry and Hermione reconvened back at the entrance a little while later. Madams Pince and Hooch both had samples of their preferred treasures while Harry hoisted his bag of wands and gemstones and leaned the wizard's staff against his shoulder. Hermione had the orb and glove along with a couple of antique books on runes.

"Okay, everyone! The room will not be going anywhere so there should be no need to come rushing back prematurely. At some point in the future, we'll have to come back and see if we can get the elves to help organize all this stuff and see what's salvageable and what should get discarded. In the meantime, Mr. Potter and Miss Granger? I award you both fifty points each for your discovery of this room and the sharing of this with us." There was a burst of applause which caused both kids to blush.


	19. Chapter 19

**Great Ormond's Street Hospital**

"Urg…Snarf…"

"Harry?" A soft voice asked. _'That sounds familiar. What's wrong with me?'_ "Harry? Can you hear me?"

"Blargen…" _'Yeah, good job there, Harry. Really intelligent._

"Hey, maybe I can ask him all sorts of embarrassing questions?" _'That sounded like Dudley. Uh-oh._

"Leave him alone, Dudley. He just came out of surgery for Heaven's sake." _Yeah, okay. That was Aunt Petunia._

It took another few minutes before Harry was able to connect his mouth to his brain and then run a few mental experiments to see if everything worked properly. Then came the fun part of opening his eyes; right…fun. The sudden intrusion of light seemed to burn his retinas. Everything was blurry and the room kind of swum around a bit.

"Wah…gliss..glah..sses.." He managed to slur out. A couple of seconds later an adult set of hands slid his glasses onto his face. That solved the blurriness and the swimming room problem. The light soon proved not to be as bright as he originally thought though it was brighter than he would've wanted. Darkness would've been a great idea right now. He slowly and with great difficulty managed to focus his gaze on his aunt, uncle and cousin standing at the foot of his bed. Dudley had a large grin on his face.

Harry glanced about and took in the appearance of the room. _'A hospital room. A muggle one at that. What happened? Oh, yeah…the surgery.'_ Then events of the past couple of weeks slowly formed in his mind.

* * *

_**Flashback…** _

It was just after the visit to the Room of Requirement that Director Croaker had pulled him aside to tell him that the surgery to remove his scar had been scheduled to take place after a cleansing ritual during Beltane. When asked why and were his aunt and uncle being contacted, Croaker replied that yes, his family had been contacted then began to explain the significance of the cleansing ritual was to prepare the body before any sort of new undertaking. This led to many rapid-fire questions by not only Harry but also Hermione as to what sort of instances a cleansing ritual could be used for.

"Did you both not receive instruction on the significance of rituals in your History of Magic class?" Croaker inquired concernedly.

Both kids shook their heads, "Professor Binns never talks about anything other than Goblin wars and Giant incursions. Most of us use the class as time to take a nap or work on other things."

Croaker turned a gimlet eye onto Professor McGonagall, "Really, Minerva? Binns should've been sacked _ages_ ago! He died only four years after I graduated, for Heaven's sake! What the fu… was the Board of Directors thinking?" He growled at the Deputy Headmistress who looked both apologetic and embarrassed. "Fine, but expect a visit from my department to exorcise that ghost out of the castle by the end of the week." He turned back to see the expectant and eager look on both kids' faces. Hermione had even pulled out a notebook and biro to take notes. He chuckled at their enthusiasm.

"Eager, aren't you? Okay. Simply put rituals are a set of actions performed according to a prescribed order. For example, when you get up in the morning, what are the steps you take to get ready for the day?"

"Stumble out of bed, scratch and moan about having to be up at such an early time?" Harry blurted out; Hermione whacked him on the arm, the adults just laughed.

"Hehe, not quite. You get up, shower, brush your teeth, get dressed, etc. You do that each and every morning, right? That's a ritual in its most simplistic terms. The ritual that you'll be undertaking, Mr. Potter will be more involved and lean towards a more religious aspect but the principle is the same."

* * *

Croaker followed them all into the Hufflepuff Common room and looked around, taking in the calming and welcoming ambiance of the Sett, "Nice. I wish my old House was this comforting." At the curious look on Hermione's face he elaborated by saying that he was Sorted into Ravenclaw, "It's more opulent and regal. Not exactly the sort of environment conducive to learning despite the tendencies of its students."

"Anyways, where was I? Oh, yes I was explaining the cleansing ritual you'll be taking part in right before your surgery." This garnered the attention of the other students in the room. _'Harry was going to get surgery?'_

"Beltane is a Celtic word which means 'fires of Bel.' Bel is a Celtic deity and is the name of a fire festival that celebrates the coming of summer and the fertility of the coming year. Celtic festivals often tied in with the needs of the community. In spring time, at the beginning of the farming calendar, everybody would be hoping for a fruitful year for their families and fields."

As Croaker led the discussion, Pomona had silently stepped up next to Minerva, "What's going on?" she whispered.

"Algernon's giving an impromptu lecture on what Beltane is and how it applies to Mr. Potter's upcoming surgery. I can't believe how complacent I'd gotten with having Binns still here. His death just kind of slipped my mind every time it was brought up to get him replaced though if I'm truly honest, it makes me wonder if perhaps Albus had a hand in doing so.

"Oh?"

Minerva gestured to the crowd of students as they were riveted to Croaker's explanations, "They're utterly fascinated by the topic. Algernon's got their attention and if he'd been a teacher, he would be worth ever knut of pay yet because Binns' is a ghost, what does a ghost need with money? It begs the question as to where his salary was going to." Pomona nodded sagely as she began to think about that.

There was the sound of giggles from the younger kids when Algernon began talking about some of the deeper aspects of fertility rituals.

* * *

Algernon Croaker quickly realized that he was becoming easily recognized the moment he stepped into the Great Hall of Hogwarts a week before Beltane. For a member of the hooded Unspeakables, this was not a good thing; Anonymity was important in their profession. It was really his fault, to be honest; after that impromptu lecture on the history of Beltane in the Hufflepuff Common room, he'd been requested numerous times to come back and give a more in-depth description of the various rituals and ceremonies that used to be taught at the school. He made his way to the High Table and addressed the crowd.

"All those who were interested in the upcoming Beltane Festival, please head to the Sacred Trees Courtyard." He then proceeded to leave the Hall, leading nearly the entire school behind him. All that was missing was a piper and his flute…

* * *

_**The Courtyard of the Sacred Trees…** _

"Many types of trees found in the Celtic nations are considered to be sacred, whether as symbols, or due to medicinal properties, or because they are seen as the abode of particular nature spirits. Historically and in folklore, the respect given to trees varies in different parts of the Celtic world. On the Isle of Man, the phrase 'fairy tree' often refers to the elder tree. The medieval Welsh poem _'Cad Goddeu'_ or 'The Battle of the Trees' is believed to contain Celtic tree lore, possibly relating to the _crann ogham_ , the branch of the ogham alphabet where tree names are used as mnemonic devices," Croaker explained as he gestured around him. A hand was raised in the back and he recognized the questioner.

"What's a men monic?"

"A _mnemonic_ is any learning technique that aids information retention or retrieval in the human memory," he clarified, "Now the list of trees that the ancient Celtics revered are: Oak, Ash, Apple, Hazel, Alder, Elder, and Yew. Each has a long and storied past that I won't be getting into right now. I've given your teachers a copy of the relevant text to be handed out at the end of this lecture." He pointed to each of the trees as he mentioned their names, "Additionally, there are small placards at the base of each tree that gives a short description of the tree and its uses in magic."

Another hand went up, "Yes?"

"I noticed that all of the trees you mentioned are used in the construction of our wands. Is that why our wands connect with us so closely?"

Croaker shrugged, "That's part of the reason but not for the purposes for this lecture. We're here to be learning about the Beltane Festival that will happen on May 1st. If you're really interested in wandlore, you can speak with Garrick Ollivander or perhaps even Mr. Potter here. Now, not all of you were there in the Hufflepuff Common room so I'll go over the basics again. Beltane is mentioned in some of the earliest Irish literature and is associated with important events in Irish mythology. Also known as _Cétshamhain_ or 'The First of Summer,' it marked the beginning of summer and it was when cattle were driven out to the summer pastures. Rituals were performed to protect the cattle, crops and people, and to encourage growth. Special bonfires were kindled, and their flames, smoke and ashes were deemed to have protective powers.

* * *

Despite knowing most of the information due to his in-depth learning of crafting wands, Harry was fascinated by the little tidbits that Croaker passed onto his audience. He briefly glanced over at Hermione who was busily scribbling her notes and making the cutest noises she usually made when learning something new. He wondered what sort of runic games she would come up as a result of this.

Harry also focused on the part of the festival where a cleansing ritual bath was performed. Croaker had explained that this would be held right before his arrival at the hospital for the upcoming surgery. He hoped that the hospital staff wouldn't have a problem with some of the symbols that would be painted on his body.

* * *

_**The day before surgery…** _

The cleansing bath itself wasn't too…weird, in Harry's opinion. It was just a bunch of flower petals and essential oils in a tub filled with warm water with specific crystals arranged around it interspersed with candles. An invocation had been given by Director Croaker before he stripped down and climbed in. Overall, he thought that this would be something that Hermione or any other girl might enjoy. He had been given a flannel and told to scrub from top to bottom and everywhere in between. As he was bathing, he broke out into a song he'd once heard on an American television program, "Rubber ducky, you're the one! You make bath time lots of fun…"

* * *

_**The morning of the surgery in the pre-op room…** _

Harry stood in front of the mirror in the pre-op room, examining the rune symbols that had been painted on his body using a paste made from the ashes of the wood from the Nine Sacred Trees. Croaker had done the work himself, not trusting anyone else with this important job, despite Hermione hovering nearby closely examining every stroke of the brush. It amazed him that she managed to remain silent; no doubt she was brimming with endless questions as to the various runes and their usage in the upcoming procedure.

After they'd left the room, he twisted and turned trying to see as much as he could and ended up posing in various 'heroic' stances. He flexed what little muscles he had, grunting and growling in a manner he thought was intimidating. "Look out world, it's Hunky Harry!"

He would've been mortified if he had known that Hermione was peeking into his room, stuffing her fist into her mouth to keep from giggling out loud.

* * *

The nurse stopped by to insert a set of IV ports into his arms. When asked, she explained that this was done so the anesthesiologist didn't have to spend the time searching for an appropriate vein to connect to. She assisted him into the hospital gown and tied it behind him then helped him climb up on the bed. An orderly came by to wheel him to the holding bay right outside the operating room. He was visibly nervous so an on-site nurse stayed near him and read a cute story to occupy his attention. A different orderly arrived to wheel his bed into the operating room after he had a brief conversation with the anesthesiologist. She inserted a couple of IV lines into his arms and began the drip, asking him to count backwards from a hundred. "100… 99… 98… 97…"

* * *

_**Meanwhile, in the waiting room…** _

Hermione was doing what she did best when faced with an inordinate amount of waiting and undefined situation: she paced. Back and forth across the room, her face scrunched up in internal dialogue with herself. She was worried about the procedure, no matter how clinical the explanation was given nor how simple it seemed when she read about it, there was always that tiny shred of doubt in her mind that _something_ could go wrong and she'd lose her best friend in the world.

"Hermione, please stop pacing. You're making me nauseous just from watching. Do you have any of your rune puzzles with you? I'll play a couple of games to take our minds off the wait." Emma suggested as she held up Hermione's backpack and rattled it a bit.

Hermione smiled wanly at her mother's attempt at distraction, "Thanks mum, but I don't think I'm in the right mind to focus on that." She didn't resume her pacing but she did stare out the window.

* * *

_**In the operating room…** _

The microsurgery of Harry Potter's famous scar took a little over three hours. During that time, Croaker paid close attention to the tools and procedures the surgeon took to excise the scar tissue and the reconstructive surgery on the boy's forehead. It was minimally bloody, practically none at all other than the impossibly thin slices the surgeon took using his scalpel. It was a far cry from the days of old that most magical people thought about when confronted with the idea of physically cutting away a part of the human body.

The surgeon, a muggleborn wizard who'd gotten disgusted by the state of the magical world and returned to the non-magical one, used a microscope to peer closely at the dermis and sub dermal layers, making his cuts all the way down to the skull. He paused as he reached the bone of the skull and turned slightly towards Croaker.

"Director? Do you want to take any readings before I finish disconnecting the rest of the tissue?"

Algernon swallowed briefly, it was surprising to himself that he'd be so squeamish in the face of the surgery, pulled out his wand and ran a series of diagnostic spells then nodded to the surgeon to continue, "I'm good now, thank you." He glanced at the scroll that had materialized during his scans so he wouldn't have to see the final part. He had just made it halfway through when he heard the surgeon announce that he was done and that they were suturing up the site.

"Doctor? I brought Essence of Dittany if you would like to use that instead of the sutures," Algernon offered, holding out the vial.

The surgeon returned with a contemplative look and shrugged, "Why not?" A couple of drops caused a flash of steam and to the surprise and wonder of the surgery team, the site sealed itself up and took on the appearance of a three day old healed wound.

"Astounding!"

"Where can we get more of this?"

"I can answer any questions you have later. I think we should get Mr. Potter here to the recovery room and speak with his family," Director Croaker interjected.

* * *

_**Present…** _

Harry sipped on a small container of tomato juice and returned his attention to a coloring book he'd been given by a member of the nursing staff. His aunt and uncle were due to arrive any time and would be taking him home. Just as he finished thinking it, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in!" he called out and in walked a smiling Petunia and Vernon with an orderly bringing up the rear pushing a wheelchair.

"Ready to come home?" Vernon asked him.

Harry beamed, "Yup, lemme get dressed first." He threw back the covers and slid out of the bed. His head still itched a bit but the doctors assured him that it was just temporary. That he could deal with, it was the medications he was on that made him woozy were his problem.

"Are you looking forward to seeing Hermione and all your friends again?" Petunia asked him as he pulled on his trainers.

Harry grinned and pulled a 'woe is me' pose, "Yeah, I can't wait to show them all the bandages. Might get some presents and assistance on class work."

Vernon shook his head and ruffled Harry's hair, "Twerp. Good luck with that. You know that Hermione is aware of your condition and won't let you slack off. Heh, that was funny the last time she was here." Harry groaned at the memory of him calling her 'Hermi-ninny' and _loudly_ professing his love for her bushy hair.

"Please don't bring that up again! I said I was sorry and that it was the medicine talking." He spotted the orderly who was having difficulty keeping a straight face and groaned again.

* * *

**Dursley Residence**

Harry was welcomed home to the sounds of Dudley and his friends yelling at the video game they were playing. Their babysitter entered the foyer and greeted the trio.

"Welcome home, Harry and Mr. and Mrs. Dursley. Everything is just fine here. Malcolm showed up about twenty minutes ago and I allowed them to play their video games in the living room so I could keep a better eye on them."

Petunia waved her hand in acceptance, "That's fine. Anything else of note while we were gone?"

The babysitter pulled out a list of notes, "Harry, you got a couple of phone calls from Hermione, a boy named Dean Thomas and another one by a boy named Justin Finch-Fletchley. They all wanted to wish you well when you finally got home. Hermione said that she'd swing by later today unless you call her and tell her not to. Beyond that, everything's been quiet," another round of yelling erupted from the living room, "So to speak."

"Thank you, Veronica. Let me get your money and you can go on home. Do you need a ride?" Harry heard as he entered the living room where Dudley and Malcolm were playing Super Mario Brothers.

"Harry! Welcome back!" Dudley greeted him without taking his eyes off the screen as he leaned to the right to dodge an incoming turtle.

"Thanks. Hey, Malcolm."

"Hey, heard your aunt and uncle finally got around to getting that scar removed."

"Yeah, actually it was the school I go to that paid for it."

Malcolm turned to face him, "Really? How'd that happen?"

Thinking fast, Harry replied, "Took a bludger to the head and they were scared of a lawsuit so they offered to pay for all the medical bills. We just decided to include the scar removal surgery as well."

"Bludger?"

Harry pinked, "Sorry, my school's ice hockey team's name for a puck. I don't know why they call it that though." Malcolm nodded his head sagely before returning to his and Dudley's game. Harry berated himself internally, glad that Malcolm accepted that without more questions. _'Good going, idiot.'_

* * *

Hermione arrived fifteen minutes later wearing one of her now infamous shirts with the funny message that read, _**'Despite the look on my face, you're still talking'**_ and was practically bursting with questions as to his physical health. She only calmed when Harry covered her mouth with his hand and patted her hair whispering soothing shushing sounds. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at him over his hand. This only served to make him laugh.

"Sorry, couldn't resist. So how was your experiments with the cleansing bath? You must be seriously squeaky clean."

"Haha, very funny _Hunky Harry_. You know as well as I do that the cleansing baths were originally done back in the days when bathing wasn't a common occurrence like it is these days. Aside from that, I'm enjoying them quite well. They're relaxing and make me smell nice. You should've seen the look on my mum's face after her first one."

(At that moment, Emma Granger was placing an order for larger quantities of Epsom salts, coconut oil, essential oils, lavender buds and Rose petals. A girly giggle bubbled up as she plotted ways to have her husband take a bath with her next time.)

Harry's eyes widened comically, "Did…did you just call me _'Hunky Harry'_? How, how did you know about that name?"

Hermione grinned evilly, "I heard and saw you posing in front of the mirror the morning of the surgery after Croaker and I left. I came back to give you a hug when I heard it."

Harry dropped his head and groaned.

* * *

**Saint Mungo's Hospital, back in January**

Harry wasn't the only one that had an appointment with the hospital. Sirius Black had arrived for his mental health check after a stint in the Ministry's holding cells to allow him time to recover from his decade in the hellish prison known as Azkaban. The walls of the room were painted a soothing cream color; the minimal decorations painted on were charmed to sway slightly to simulate a gentle breeze. There was a floor to ceiling window that overlooked London and a couple of well-padded couches finished out the décor. Sirius barely managed to keep himself from transforming into his alter ego, that of a large black dog that resembled the mythological Grim, known as Padfoot. He was nervous but was told ahead of time that every bit of progress made, it was one step closer to being freed and reunited with his godson.

The Mind Healer knocked on the door and entered when he heard the hoarse voice call out, "Come in!"

"Good morning, Mr. Black. How are you feeling today?"

Sirius scratched nervously on his wrist, "Uh, could you please call me Sirius? Every time I hear Mr. Black, I feel like I'm back at Hogwarts and Madam Pomfrey is getting ready to scold me."

The Mind Healer laughed, "She does have that effect on people, doesn't she? Okay, so my name is Healer Tomkins and I will be guiding you on your way to regaining your mental stability."

* * *

_**Present time…** _

"Good morning, Sirius. How are you feeling today?"

"I'm doing pretty well, Healer Tomkins. I had a bit of a nightmare last night but I did what we worked on and wrote what I remembered down in my journal and ran through my breathing exercises. I've also been going through the yoga exercises to build my body up again. I never thought yoga would be so sweat-inducing but I managed to get through my set without stopping this time." Sirius handed over his journal and settled back on the couch. A lot had changed since that first meeting, he was relaxed and in control of his emotions and had no desire to immediately change into his Animagus form whenever he was stressed.

Healer Tomkins nodded appropriately at what he heard and read within the journal before gently closing it and peered at Sirius. His patient had cleaned up well since then; his hair had been cut and washed, his skin had been treated for the various cuts and sores a prisoner might accumulate during their incarceration and the nervous tics had practically vanished. The only time they appeared was when Sirius was faced with something new and unexpected.

"Well, I've brought a treat for you today."

"Really? Is it that blonde from reception?"

"Ha! No, Sirius. A friend from your past has been getting counseling of his own and his Healer and I think it would be beneficial if the two of you got reacquainted." Tomkins pressed a rune on the table next to him and the door behind him opened and their guest walked in.

Sirius' face lit up as recognition set in, "Moony!"

* * *

Remus "Moony" Lupin had been found and brought in during Amelia's investigation into the case of Sirius Black. His handling by the Aurors who brought him in wasn't the kindest after they learned that he was a werewolf, all civility went out the window. He was roughly tossed into a cell with silver bars and questioned at length about his supposed relationship with Sirius, the Potters and his time at Hogwarts. He was just about ready to toss everything to Hell and demand to be released back to the wilds so to speak when Amelia stepped into the room and demanded all others leave. She then sat down, uncuffed his restraints and apologized for their atrocious behaviors.

She explained the real reasoning for his being requested to appear, "It's come to my attention that Sirius Black never received a trial for his actions back in 1981; his alleged betrayal of the Potters, the murder of 12 muggles and Peter Pettigrew. It's been since learned that he'd been setup as part of an elaborate and convoluted plan by Albus Dumbledore to gain control over young Harry Potter as well as the Potter Family Vaults. Mr. Black has been pulled from Azkaban and will be remanded to Saint Mungo's for physical and mental health treatment before his scheduled court hearing."

Needless to say, Remus was torn; he'd heard all the stories about how Sirius had supposedly followed in his family's footsteps and betrayed his brother in all but blood, been chased down and confronted by Peter only to kill his supposed friend in a fight on that muggle street. He didn't want to believe it, not after being friends with Sirius since they first met on the Hogwarts Express at age eleven.

"I've read your file, Mr. Lupin," Amelia began, "and it says here that you've been getting psychological help in the muggle world? How is that possible without breaking the Statute?"

Remus smiled sagely, "I did a bit of research and found a willing and trustworthy muggleborn psychiatrist who left the magical world because of the discrimination against those not born to the magical world. She's been helping me as part of the NHS program for financially disadvantaged people to receive counseling for PTSD."

"What is that?"

"PTSD is an acronym that stands for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It's usually used to describe the condition of those coming back from war or other traumatic events. We managed to come up with a clerical work around for my lycanthropy since the non-magical world doesn't know my condition exists. As far as the NHS is concerned, I'm a returned veteran who served overseas as part of a counterterrorist strike force who suffers from aggression and an overwhelming sense of survivor's guilt."

Amelia blinked owlishly for a moment before groaning quietly, "Again, the muggle world shows that it's progressed way beyond our own supposed advancements."

* * *

Sirius and Remus spent the better part of a day getting reacquainted with each other. Healer Tomkins observed quietly and unobtrusively in the background under a disillusionment charm. The two men were aware that he was still there but pretended otherwise.

"So Padfoot, you crazy about the place?" Remus joked then rubbed his shoulder where Sirius had playfully slugged him in response, "Ow, you plonker! Not so hard."

"Wuss. How's life on the outside? Did you ever get your Mastery in Defense like you'd planned to?"

Remus nodded then shrugged, "Yep, in Japan until their Ministry changed regulations. Knocked around the countryside for a while before finding a nice place to live and work in the muggle world. They're a lot better at helping those down on their luck in finding housing and work than the fools in our Ministry. They have laws against discrimination based on pre-existing medical conditions and religion. I found work as a repairman in an antique store for a while before the owner of the shop recommended me to a friend of his who owned a rare and antique bookstore."

Sirius nearly choked on the cup of tea from the service they'd been provided, "You _own_ a bookstore?"

Remus laughed, "No, I work there as a buyer. I travel around the country, attending estate sales and whatnot buying up the collections and passing them off to the owner who resells them in the store. I'm able to get around my lunar cycle because I told him that I'm a practicing Wiccan."

Sirius' face scrunched up as he tried to remember what a Wiccan was, "Okay, let's just assume I know what that is and keep going."

Remus finished up his tale about how after a couple of close calls with the muggle police because of the increased aggression he experienced from the ramp up to the transformation, he signed up for free PTSD counseling with a muggleborn psychiatrist.

"At first, I didn't know that she was a muggleborn. It's not like there's any external identifiers; no, it was more of a feeling so I dropped a couple of magical references to see how she'd react. A couple of simple things like the results of being caught in the act by Minerva McGonagall. The doctor actually flinched which clued me into the possibility that she might be a witch so I did a bit of background research and lo and behold, she was. She graduated about 5 years before us and had been Sorted into Hufflepuff."

"Then you got picked up by the Aurors and after a chat with those lovely people, you were brought to me," Sirius deadpanned. Remus touched his nose knowingly. "Have you been told about my life since that horrible night?"

"Just the basics. I don't really want to know about the horrors you faced while inside the prison, you know. I heard that you've been getting treatment as part of your rehabilitation prior to your court hearing."

Sirius dropped his head a notch, "Yeah, it's actually been helpful. I don't have the overwhelming urge to change into Padfoot like I'd been originally. I'm actually looking forward to my hearing and maybe even getting to see Harry once again. Do you have any word on what he's been up to?"

Remus glanced over to where they knew Healer Tomkins was sitting, "Nope, not a thing though that maybe a good idea. As far as I know, he should be at Hogwarts as a first year."

Sirius smiled as he began to dream about his godson, "Do you think he got Sorted into Gryffindor?"

Remus huffed, "Well, it's utterly unlikely that he got into Slytherin. If he's still anything like his baby self, I could see him in Ravenclaw. Remember those baby books he loved so much?"

Both men laughed at the memory.

* * *

"How come you didn't try to get involved with Harry's life though, Moony?"

"Couldn't. Albus told me that he was being taken care of by his family and that he'd promised them that contact would be kept to a minimum. I wasn't even told which family had taken him in. I basically got the run-around after my third attempt to find out which of the Light-side families took Harry. I, uh, you know what happened with the Longbottoms, right?" Sirius growled and sadly nodded his head. "So, after you and the Longbottoms, Lily said they had put it in the Will that Harry should've gone to Minerva." He trailed off uncertainly.

Sirius swiped his hand over his face and scrubbed his fingers through his hair, "I'm hoping that we'll find out sometime during my hearing. Until then, I'm not going to let it affect me. I've come too far to let it bother me."

Unseen by either men, Healer Tomkins smiled and made a notation on his report.


	20. Chapter 20

**Ministry for Magic, Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge's Office**

"Thank you everyone for coming promptly, I want to get this meeting done with so we can get the rest of our day moving," Cornelius announced, a bit pompously. He liked to think that he was an important and busy man but in reality, the only thing he had scheduled was a long lunch. "So, let's start with Amelia; what's the condition of Albus after his stint in our wonderful care?" A couple of people snickered, especially a woman in a hideous pink cardigan.

Amelia opened up her file folder and cleared her throat, "Well, simply put the Healers believe that Albus will never be leaving the confines of the Janus Thickey Ward. According to them, he's recently suffered a moderately severe stroke coupled with mid-level dementia. He doesn't recognize his surroundings anymore. He thinks that he's back home with his family and waiting for his younger sister to return home so dinner can be started. Ordinarily they wouldn't be handling his condition but send him onto a specialized hospice care out in the muggle world but our Healers and the hospice care staff feel that given Albus' mental state and his remaining power levels even with the magic inhibitor bracelets; he's still a considerable danger to those around him."

"What's that about his sister?" someone asked.

"His sister, Ariana had been attacked by several muggle boys who'd witnessed her doing accidental magic when she was only 5 years old. She essentially became an Obscurus as a result and was subsequently kept at home in secret by her parents. Their father was sent to Azkaban for his retaliation against the boys. The reports say that he died while in incarceration. Albus' brother Aberforth, took over care of their sister when their mother died. He currently operates the Hog's Head Tavern in Hogsmeade and there's no love lost between the brothers. Aberforth blames Albus for their sister's death but won't elaborate."

"Would it not be better to bind his magic down completely? Essentially make him a squib?" Cornelius asked her.

Amelia shook her head briefly, "No, the Healers considered that but feel that in this case, it would be too dangerous. They likened it to trying to squeeze a handful of thin mud in your fist. No matter how much you try to contain it, it'll squish out between your fingers. Plus, if they were to make him a squib at his age, it would result in his death. Now while I personally feel that would be a humane thing to do, the Healers don't want to go that route." Cornelius slowly nodded then gestured for her to continue.

"Next up, my team along with Director Croaker's group of Unspeakables has finished dismantling the so-called 'traps' that were discovered in an unused section of Hogwarts. The Cerberus has been moved to the Dover Customs Facility for transfer back to Greece; Rubeus Hagrid has been given a temporary visa so he can accompany the dog to its destination," She paused as she flipped a page, "Hagrid has also been suggested for a work-study program they have. Harold here was impressed by his ability to calm the dog plus some of the other items they noted in their report they submitted and that you have there in that packet." Cornelius pulled out the relevant parchment and pursed his lips as he scanned it then glanced over at the Beast Control Department Head who nodded in agreement.

"Hem-hem…"

It took nearly all of Amelia's self-control not to roll her eyes at the annoying interruption. _'Enter the Toad…'_ "Yes, Dolores?"

"I was wondering why that half-breed wasn't punished for owning such a beast and using it in a school full of our nation's children?" Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister simpered in what she thought was a pleasant demeanor.

' _Yeah, right and I'm a unicorn and fart rainbows.'_ Amelia groused internally, "Hagrid has been working at Hogwarts for nearly fifty years and is widely known as a gentle, if not a bit simplistic, trusting soul. Given what we now know about Dumbledore's manipulations, it's quite clear that Albus tricked Hagrid into supplying the creature. Hagrid wouldn't have thought anything of bringing in the Cerberus because he felt that Albus was a 'Great Man' and the one who kept him on even after his expulsion from the school back in the forties."

"Why _was_ he expelled anyways? I don't remember hearing or reading about a decent reason and he's rather hesitant about reliving the past," Harold asked.

Amelia flipped to the right page in her report, "According to this, he was expelled for keeping a monster that broke free of its confines and killed a student." Harold was about to inquire as to what type of 'monster' when he was interrupted.

"Let's put that aside for the time being and get back to the report on Albus," Cornelius interjected when he spotted Dolores getting ready to open her mouth, he was getting hungry, "Was there anything else?"

Amelia put down the report on Albus and picked up the one for Harry's case, "This next report is on the surgery to remove the Dark entity that was discovered embedded within Harry Potter's infamous scar." She just gave an overview of the procedure used and suggested that they don't look at the pictures if they were planning on eating any time soon. Cornelius paled and swallowed thickly before dropping the file on his desk.

"And before you start up with that fake throat clearing Dolores, the surgical staff was obliviated of their memories of the usage of the dittany that Croaker supplied. The surgeon himself is actually a muggleborn and therefore not in need of the memory adjustments." Dolores glared at Amelia who ignored the look.

"Finally, is the upcoming trial for Sirius Black…" Cornelius groaned; this was going to be a long meeting.

* * *

**Saint Mungo's Hospital**

Sirius was bored. Incredibly bored. Dangerously bored. Healer Tomkins _promised_ that he would be clearing him today to be released to stand trial for the events of that horrific night back in '81. Tomkins also said that he'd be right back to escort him to Moony who was waiting for him at the floo to take him home briefly. That was twenty minutes ago. He tried to do some yoga exercises to center his mind and to calm his nerves but it wasn't helping. He stared out the window again before finally deciding what to do. He got up and tested the door handle to see if it was locked. It wasn't; a mischievous grin spread over his face…

* * *

_**Nurse's station…** _

"Hey! Who let that dog in here?!"

"Grab him!"

"Get back here, you mutt!"

The nurses' heads shot up at the sound of the orderlies yelling when they spotted Padfoot tearing off down the hallway at full tilt. He skidded around a corner a bit too fast and slammed into the opposite wall before scrabbling forward again. He glanced behind him at the orderlies who also slid into the wall and piled up in an entangled mass of limbs and bodies. He woofed smugly and kept running.

He transformed in one smooth motion and by using the inertia of his moving mass, slid passed them on sock covered feet with a playful grin plastered on his face. He transformed back into Padfoot in another smooth motion to the snorts of laughter and surprise from the amazed nurses. One more turn to the left and he dashed to his intended destination.

* * *

_**Saint Mungo's Children's Ward…** _

Sirius had discovered this ward during one of his walks to build up his stamina while in rehab. He peered in through the window and saw the children who had been suffering from various ailments were either resting in bed, reading quietly on puffy couches in front of brightly painted bookshelves or staring blankly out the window. It was a rather sad scene to be honest even if the room had been painted a bright and cheery palette. He could hear the faint sounds of a happy song playing on a phonograph. Sirius quietly opened the door then shifted into his Padfoot form. He silently approached one little girl who had a bandage wrapped around her arm and another around the stump where her left leg would've been. Putting on his best 'puppy dog look,' he inched up and rested his head on the edge of her bed waiting for her to spot him.

Her not so silent gasp alerted the others nearby that something was amiss.

* * *

When the nurses and orderlies finally caught up with Padfoot, they found him surrounded by excitedly chattering, happy children, a couple were brushing his fur; another was using the stethoscope on his heart and listening to his heartbeat while making 'diagnostics.' One was even attempting to draw his picture. All the while, the dog had a supremely happy and content look on his face. His tail wagged and whapped the legs of one of the younger giggling kids who kept trying to grab it while it was in motion.

Healer Tomkins along with Remus entered and smiled, "Well, I see that some people enjoy your company, Padfoot. Children?" They all turned to him, "This dog's name is Padfoot and as you can see he's a big softie. Unfortunately, his owner (he pointed to Remus) wants him back." This was answered by a host of groans and childish complaints. Tomkins held his hands up for attention, "I can see that's not popular so let me see if I can convince his owner to bring him by another day, eh?" This announcement led to cheers. Padfoot extricated himself from the loving attentions and trotted over to him and gave a sad sort of huff.

* * *

"What the _heck_ was that, Sirius? You go and do something crazy right before the Healer was going to release you?" Remus complained much to Sirius' amusement.

"Whaaat, I was bored waiting for him to come back!" Sirius whined and threw his arms out. Tomkins laughed at the byplay.

"It's not problem, gentlemen. As a matter of fact, I think that this might be a good idea for a short-term outpatient rehabilitation job; if you're agreeable to it?"

Sirius cocked his head in thought, "I guess so. It'd be better than some of the other ideas I'd come up with."

Moony grimaced, "I can only imagine what sort of ideas you came up with."

Sirius flipped him the finger and grinned.

* * *

**Late May Hogwarts, Headmistress' Office**

Newly installed Headmistress Minerva McGonagall peered around her new office and sighed in exasperation. Everything had been left as it had been before Albus had been arrested so there was a pile of correspondence that had to be dealt with, the various trinkets he had scattered around the room and on a multiple of tables were making noise in some way or another.

"Maisy?" she called out.

There was a nearly silent 'pop' announcing the arrival of Maisy, one of the castle elves , "Yes, Heady Kitty?" Minerva grimaced at the reference.

"I have a list of things I need you to do. Get some help from the other elves if you need it. First, I want you to turn off all of Albus Dumbledore's trinkets and other noisy things, label and box them up along with anything else of his in this office as well as his apartment to be sent into storage. Second, everything that doesn't belong to him needs to be labeled with the appropriate names and if known, destinations then just store them temporarily in an unused room nearby."

Maisy nodded quickly, causing her ears to flap before vanishing. There were a couple of flashes of light and items started disappearing off the tables and bookshelves.

While that was being done, Minerva sat down on the chair behind the desk and started rifling through the pile of parchment. Sighing once more, she got down to the ordeal of slogging through the mail.

* * *

After separating and organizing the piles of mail, Minerva decided to take a break and called for a staff meeting. She ordered the gargoyle to remain open with instructions for the staff to just come up. First in was Pomona who smirked at the tired look on Minerva's face.

"Rough day?"

Minerva returned with one of her patented 'I'm not impressed with your attempt at humor' glares.

Pomona poured herself a cup of tea from the ever-present service and settled in to wait for the others. Next up was Severus who silently ensconced himself in the first available chair. Filius, Argus, Vector and Babbling brought up the last of the regular staff members. Sybil was probably still passed out drunk in her classroom, Binns had been exorcised earlier in the month and Hagrid was currently overseas. Charity was a no-show but Minerva had mentioned receiving a letter back in February stating that there'd been a family emergency. Aurora was probably still sleeping which no one would begrudge her on.

Minerva stood and addressed them, "Okay, thank you all for your prompt arrival. Let's get this meeting underway. First off, Albus as you all know has been permanently removed from his position as headmaster (there was a sigh of relief from Severus). I've been installed by the Board of Directors as the new headmistress and now for my first duty, I need to select a deputy. Pomona? How about it? Want the number two position?"

Pomona's eyes widened when Minerva offered the job and rapidly shook her head in negation, "Nooo… I don't want it. I don't know anything about how to navigate the muggle world! I like my nice, quiet routine."

Minerva peered over the rims of her glasses at her friend, "You sure? Learning how to navigate their world is not _that_ terrible. I learned pretty quickly when the job was shown to me." Pomona still refused it but held up a hand.

"I still refuse the home visits but if you need someone to assist the incoming first years get acquainted with the school for the first week, then by all means I'd be pleased to."

Severus leaned forward as he readjusted his robes, "Really? Isn't that something for the prefects to undertake?"

"And they still will, I'd just be on hand if something came up that the prefects couldn't handle."

Minerva could accept that, "That'll be fine, then. So, who would like to take on the role of Deputy?"

"How about Trelawney?" Severus snarked to the laughter of the others, including Minerva who peered curiously at the usually dour man. His demeanor had changed drastically since Albus' removal from the castle. His responses were still acerbic but nowhere near as mean as it used to be. Severus caught her look and widened his eyes comically, "No way! Can you picture _me_ going to the homes of potential first years?"

Minerva made a dismissively contemplative face, "Who else then? Charity? She's another pureblood who only knows about the muggle world through that idiotic textbook she 'teaches' out of. I'd bet that she's never even _been_ in the muggle world. Septima and Bathseda are both busy with their classes and side jobs, Argus might be able to since he's had to study at one of their universities and I'm sorry Filius, but you wouldn't be a good candidate because of your heritage and stature." Filius waved off her concerns.

"It's no problem, Min. I wasn't even planning of throwing my hat into the ring for the position."

Severus sighed and grumbled a moment under his breath, "How long would I have to consider it?"

"Early July at the latest."

"Then I'll let you know then. Who's going to handle the current batch?"

"I'll continue until you either agree or I find someone else." He nodded once and settled back in his chair.

"Okay next is the replacement for Professor Binns. An Unspeakable came round recently to exorcise the ghost out of the castle so we need a new history professor. Any suggestions?"

Argus raised his hand, "I could take over if you're offering." The others looked surprised and he blushed, "It's not like I need to use any _actual_ magic, just talk about how others used it in the past and frankly teaching history is the same regardless of the world we're in. I had to teach a short stint in order to get my degree in Art History and I think I've done a fair job of teaching the history of the portraits and other things here in the castle to Miss Granger. I would like to prove to others that I'm more than just the lowly squib caretaker."

Filius looked confused, "Who would handle the caretaker position then?"

Argus shrugged unconcernedly, "I say let the elves do it. They do most of the work I can't do anyways."

There were murmurs of agreement to his suggestion from the others.

"I think I can get it past the Board, Argus. Are you sure that you want to be faced with all those children? I seem to remember not too long ago, you swearing up a storm about 'those damn miscreants.'"

Argus snorted as he waved that comment off, "That was when I had just finished cleaning or repairing something. You would be mad too if all your recently completed hard work was banished to Hell by a rampaging herd of messy children." Minerva just gave him a sidelong look for a moment before accepting it.

"One final part then I'll open the floor to everyone else. Director Croaker and his team will be stopping by this weekend to go through and organize the Room of Requirement. If you want to take part, let me know and I'll send along the message. Given how big the room's gotten, it'll probably be a massive undertaking so you don't have to worry if you don't finish quickly or get sidetracked. They'll be setting up an age-line to keep anyone under the age of seventeen from the seventh floor so we won't have to worry about the Weasley Twins getting underfoot." Loud sighs of relief were heard by nearly everyone.

* * *

**Hufflepuff Sunroom**

It was such a nice day that Harry and Hermione decided to commandeer one of the tables in the Sunroom to do their homework. Hermione was wearing a shirt that said, _**'I'm not weird, I'm one of a kind.'**_ Neville had disappeared almost immediately when the three entered though they knew that he'd probably join them after checking over his self-appointed chores list he had hanging in the potter's room.

"I can't believe the year's almost up. It's amazing just how _busy_ it's been!" Harry commented as he peered around the room lazily. Cinnamon popped in and offered them both a tea service. They declined the tea but said they'd accept some fruit juice. Hermione dug into her bag and pulled out a stack of notes for their classes to study; Harry did the same with his notes.

Hermione picked up her glass when it appeared and sighed after taking a sip, "I know, right? So many people we've met, subjects we've learned and friendships made. What was the biggest thing for you?"

"In what category?"

She scrunched her nose up, "How about: friendship, surprise relationship, favorite class subject and hardest concept to accept?"

Harry pondered that, there was SO much from which to choose.

"Well, while you're thinking, I'll share mine. First up is my friendship with the girls in Slytherin House. Once we got past that whole blood status bigotry, we all discovered that we share a love of bike riding and complex puzzles. Incidentally, now that the weather has improved, I want to go out again. Pansy is positively addicted to Sudoku! Millie loves the three dimensional jigsaw puzzles while Daphne and Tracy both love the Runic Scrabble I came up with. The surprise relationship ought to be easy enough for anyone to figure out. Argus Filch is actually the First Doctor!" She mock swooned into her chair causing Harry to laugh.

"Class subject I think would have to be Transfiguration. It's so versatile and potentially useful back home if I were ever to combine that with muggle engineering." Her eyes unfocused as she drifted off onto a mental tangent. Harry tapped on the table top to get her attention again after a moment. "Right, where was I? Oh yeah, the hardest to accept thing would have to be crap that Dumbledore put you through. The nerve of him!"

Harry flopped back in agreement. He drained the last of his fruit juice and thought a bit more, "I'd have to agree with you on the hardest thing to accept especially since it's my life. I just can't wrap my head around how no one saw through his manipulations and tried to stop him earlier. I think another part of that was the Dark entity in my scar. I overheard Croaker telling his colleague that Dumbledore should've recognized it _as_ Dark magic and done something to remove it. The man was supposedly the 'Leader of the Light' and therefore should've done something to protect me." He threw his hands up in dismissal, "Eh, it's over with and I'll never have to worry about it. Anyways, I think my friendship with Neville is my biggest accomplishment in a personal relationship. Draco, Vince and Greg are nice and all but they'll always have that bit of aristocratic snobbery that won't go away. Nev on the other hand, is a down to earth, gentle and easy going kind of guy. Someone to work together on a project then go get a drink afterwards."

Neville arrived just after he said that, grinning from what he overheard, "Thanks, Harry." He plopped down in an empty chair and poured himself a glass of the fruit juice then took a long pull from it.

"What about your classes? Which one is your most and least favorite?"

"Favorite? Charms. Hands down. Least favorite? History. Binns kept putting me to sleep and that's not the way to teach a class and hope your students pick up the information."

"Surprise relationship?" she asked after finishing another sip.

Harry pursed his lips, "Surprise good or surprise bad?"

"Both."

"Hmmm…surprise good would have to be Draco and the boys of Slytherin. Get them away from their parents' influence and they become ordinary kids. Surprise bad would have to be the Weasley Twins. I appreciate a good joke every now and then but what they do is practically bullying. Speaking of which, didn't you say once that you planned on letting them get in one good school-wide prank at the end of the year for good behavior?"

She nodded, "Yeah, that reminds me I need to write a note to them and have an elf deliver it." She dug into her bag and pulled out a fresh sheet of paper and a pen and began writing.

* * *

"So what were you discussing besides praising me, if you don't mind me asking?" Neville queried Harry seeing that Hermione was busy speaking to Cinnamon.

"Just looking back over the events of this year and our involvement if any in them. Also we were talking about a couple of highlights that we'd noticed. You know, what's the biggest thing that's happened to you?"

"Thing?"

"Yeah, like biggest or maybe I should say the best highlight of the year. A friendship you didn't expect, enemies that you didn't expect, most or least favorite classes; that sort of thing," Harry replied as Cinnamon came back with a tray of sliced veggies and a honey mustard dip plus a pitcher of chilled water. He thanked her and picked out a small radish globe and began munching on it.

Neville sighed as he thought about it, "Well, my favorite class is obvious and a surprise discovery would have to be this sunroom. I will be forever grateful that you introduced me here. (Harry gave him a thumbs up as he continued munching). A surprise friendship? Eh, it would have to be just about anyone since I was rather sheltered before Hogwarts. I don't really have any enemies, at least of the human variety. There's a couple of plants that I'd swear glare at me when I walk past."

"What about a least favorite class?" Harry asked as he swiped a baby carrot away from Hermione who'd been reaching for the same one. She growled at him then grabbed another one. He just scrunched his nose up at her and stuck his tongue out playfully.

"Hmmm, maybe astronomy since I have to be up late at night. We really didn't have to suffer Quirrell too long before getting that Auror replacement. What do you think will happen there?"

Harry shrugged indifferently; it wasn't his call.

* * *

_**Meanwhile in Gryffindor Tower…** _

It had shaped up to be a really lousy year for the Weasley Twins. Somehow they'd been humiliated in ways that they'd still hadn't figured out. Everything from being transported out of their beds to that farm and the random clothing changes to the most recent example where they thought their mother was chasing them around the castle screeching that she was going to be moving in with them and attending all their classes.

Fred was leaning up against his headboard while examining the Marauder's Map once again. He idly tracked the movements of the Flying Foxes or also known as Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet and Katie Bell; the Chasers of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. As he shifted his position on the bed, he heard the crinkle noise of parchment being squished. Puzzled, he reached underneath him and retrieved a folded scrap with a worryingly familiar writing. The Twins' bane had written again…

"George, we got another message from our mystery anti-prankster," he called out to his brother. George looked up from where he was digging through his trunk and sighed, "What now?"

' _To whom it may concern, It is nearing the end of the school year and so far your pranking efforts have been effectively curtailed to the joy of the others in the school. You have been exemplary in your abilities to control yourselves and restraint in trying to rebel. As a reward, I will allow you to pull ONE school-wide prank to close out the school year. This note has been given to you now to allow you plenty of time to prepare. Enjoy.'_

Twin grins slowly spread and an evil glint returned to their eyes. Elsewhere, Minerva suddenly shivered…

* * *

**Ministry for Magic, Courtroom Ten, Sirius Black vs. Ministry for Magic**

Sirius took a deep breath to try and slow his heart rate but it just didn't seem to work. He glanced over to where Remus was sitting in the gallery. Moony caught his eye and gave him a thumbs up in support. His lawyer assured him that all this was really just a formality. His Healer had already given his testimony and most of the warlocks in the Wizengamot had been turned to his side. He wasn't really worried about those members of the Dark contingent, they would always vote against a Light-sider like himself.

"Attention! The Trial for Sirius Black shall commence! Aurors, seal the doors!" There was a brief banging noise then the crowd began to quiet down.

The prosecutor was invited to step forward and give his opening statement how Sirius shouldn't be allowed to be set free, how everyone knew that he'd been the Secret-Keeper for the Potters and how he'd been the right hand man in the Dark Lord's inner circle.

Sirius wanted to immediately call out that the man was a liar but his lawyer held him back and whispered in his ear that this was normal and there was no animosity towards him.

His lawyer got up and made his rebuttal statement while Sirius sat there and nervously picked at his nails before forcibly restraining himself and sat more upright.

* * *

"Mr. Black, please walk us through that night. What happened?" His lawyer asked him.

"I had just returned from a quick shopping trip for groceries when I got this uncomfortable feeling that something bad had happened. I floo called Peter because he was our point man for contacting the others in the Order. There was no response but I wasn't too worried yet, after all he could've been in the loo or something. I tried calling Albus but again, I got no response so I grabbed my keys and headed over to the town that I knew the Potter's lived in."

"That would be Godric's Hollow?" his lawyer interjected. Sirius nodded and continued how enroute he suddenly remembered where the house the Potter's lived specifically since once it was under the Fidelius, it had been removed from conscious thought.

"When I got to the house I could see that the upper floor where the nursery was had been blown out. There was debris everywhere…" Sirius visibly steadied himself before continuing, "I quickly checked the debris and only found a tattered robe that didn't belong to James or Lily. I raced inside and found him, James that is, lying on the floor, his eyes vacant and not breathing. I left him where he was and headed upstairs. The upper floor was swaying from the heavy damage it seemed to have suffered. That's when I found Lily. She was lying on the floor, one hand still grasping the bars of the crib where Harry was sitting."

Throughout his testimony there wasn't a dry eye amongst the visitor's gallery or amongst the Light and Grey contingent. If someone had looked closely enough, they would've been surprised to find a couple of moist eyes in a couple of the minor Dark warlocks.

Harry saw me and called out for his 'pa'foo.' I picked him up and checked him over. I vaguely remember casting a baby healing charm on his forehead which was bleeding. Then I heard a noise downstairs. I guarded Harry the best I could until I saw it was just Hagrid. He said that he was there to take Harry to Dumbledore which confused me. I am his godfather and therefore was responsible for Harry. I just remember a sudden feeling that I needed to go after Peter. It was weird now that I think about it."

"How so?"

"We Blacks are trained from childhood to resist or at least recognize mind compulsions. This felt _sort of_ like a compulsion but not at the same time." He shook himself and shrugged off the memory.

"Your Honor, I submit into evidence an Unspeakable grade memory report that describes that Hagrid had been tricked into wearing an enchanted necklace that would overcome the childhood training against mind compulsion. This necklace, also contained the magical signature of Albus Dumbledore." That caused an uproar in the gallery until the Chief Adjudicator fired off a cannon blast and called for silence.

"Go on, Mr. Black."

"Well, I gave Harry over to Hagrid along with my motorcycle so they wouldn't have to travel by portkey. An injured infant wouldn't like the aftereffects of portkey travel. Once they were gone, I came down with the overwhelming rage against Peter. The rat was the Secret-Keeper! The only way Voldemort (that caused flinching throughout the courtroom) could've known where the Potter's were living is if Peter had told him. Anyways, I tracked him down and confronted him on the streets of Manchester. We traded a couple of spells before Peter yelled at the top of his lungs about how I betrayed the Potters and led to their downfall. He made a showing of him cutting off his finger on his left hand and let loose with a blasting curse at the street behind me. The explosion threw me across the street; I remember impacting the curb and not much after that. When I finally came to, there were Aurors and I'm guessing some Obliviators milling around. I don't remember saying anything coherently but was told later that I had been repeating 'my fault, all my fault.'" He sniffed sadly and nodded, "It was my fault. The murders of James and Lily? Yeah, it was my idea to suggest that Peter be given the role of Secret-Keeper because I was the too obvious choice. Everyone knew that I was James' best friend and brother in all but name so the Death Eaters would've been casting for me. Peter though? He was the sort of person most overlooked. Who'd ever suspect him?"

* * *

"Now Mr. Black, you called Peter a rat. What did you mean by that? Was it because he ratted out the Secret to the Dark Lord?"

Sirius shrugged briefly, "I guess you could say that but he's also a rat Animagus. His form is that of a common brown garden rat."

"Mr. Black?" the Chief Adjudicator spoke up, "from all records, Peter Pettigrew was a rather weak wizard; an animagus ability should've been beyond his capabilities. How do you know about his form?"

Sirius shifted uncomfortably, "I know because James and I along with Peter became Animagi in our fifth year of Hogwarts to keep our friend company during his monthly transformations. My form is that of a large black dog reminiscent of the Grim. James was a stag." The Chief Adjudicator nodded and motioned for Sirius to continue. There was a notation in the records about Remus Lupin's werewolf condition but he felt there was no need to bring it up in front of the crowd.

* * *

The rest of the trial passed rather quickly. Testimonies were given and a couple of memories from that time and the events of that Halloween and the following week were played for the record. In the end, it was the decision of the Wizengamot that Sirius Black was not guilty of betraying the Potters to the Dark Lord; he was also found not guilty of being a member of a terrorist organization by the expedient fact that he didn't have the Dark Mark on his arm. He _was_ found guilty of being an unregistered animagus but the charge was commuted in light of the ten years he'd already spent in Azkaban.

Sirius Black was a free man. His hug to Remus was tight and almost desperate. Tears of joy and relief fell unashamedly.

"So what's next for you, Mr. Black?" asked one reporter who managed to get close.

"I want to see my godson. I want to see Harry."

* * *

**Hogwarts, Hufflepuff House, Harry's Dorm Room**

' _Knock, knock, knock..'_

Harry looked up from his reading; curious as to who the heck it could be that would bother knocking. Professor Sprout wouldn't bother him in his room, Neville was his roommate and Hermione just barged in regardless of his state of dress. He rolled out of bed and shuffled over to the door and opened it. Standing before him was Director Croaker and he had a smile on his face.

"Professor Croaker," Harry said with a knowing smirk.

"Smart assed kid. You gonna let me in?" Croaker unconvincingly growled. Harry moved back and let the older man into his room.

Algernon took the chair at the desk while Harry took a seat on the edge of his bed, "I just wanted to bring you up to speed regarding the spectral possession of Quirnius Quirrell. It's our determination that the wraith is that of Lord Voldemort. Both the wraith and the host are in a state of suspension so we could examine both safely."

"Wow…" Harry breathed.

Algernon agreed, "Additionally, the Dark entity that resided in your scar has been determined to be what's known as a Horcrux. I'm telling you this because it's related to another piece of information. Before you were born a prophecy was made; I can tell you the wording if you want?"

Harry shrugged indifferently, "I don't need to know it. I just want to know that you and your department are dealing with this problem."

Algernon sat up a bit straighter, "That brings us to the next topic. I would like to write a contract between the two of us to search out other Horcruxes that might be out there that keeps the Dark Lord 'alive' if you will and attached to this plane of existence." He pulled a scroll out of his pocket and handed it over for Harry to read. When he had finished reading, Harry reached for a biro and signed on the appropriate line.

"There you go, Director Croaker. I authorize you and your department to go out and act as my Hand in the quest to eradicate every instance of Voldemort's soul and legacy." The two shook hands and afterwards, Croaker got up to take his leave.

* * *

**Late June, Leaving Feast, Hogwarts Great Hall**

Minerva stood and congratulated everyone on another successful and educational year. It was definitely going to be a memorable one for a long time to come. The House Cup points were announced and it was a landslide victory for Hufflepuff; a first in recent memory. Just as she was finishing her speech, there was a loud bang, the room filled with blue smoke and a screech reminiscent of Molly Weasley was heard.

When the smoke cleared, the kids and staff were looking about them in horror and a lot of laughter. Every single one of them had been transformed into some kind of brightly colored tropical bird. The trick of it was that they couldn't tell that they had been transformed, someone else had to tell them! Girls were transfiguring plates into mirrors to check the damage but couldn't see any changes yet their friends were swearing up and down that they were covered in feathers and had a beak instead of a mouth.

Minerva glanced over at Pomona, who had taken on the resemblances to that of a flamingo. Severus looked like a raven (in her mind, that was a step up from his usual bat-like appearance), Filius had taken the form of a hummingbird. She dreaded to know what sort of bird she resembled.

"How bad is mine?" she asked her colleague. Pomona only laughed and shook her head.

"You're the only one here that doesn't look like a bird! The thing I have no clue as to who or what you're supposed to be." She turned to Severus and Filius, "Do either one of you know?"

It was Severus who supplied the answer, though it was given in short bursts because he was laughing too much, "She… she's dressed like…hahaha! She's dressed as Carmen Miranda!" He fell out of his chair from laughing and couldn't continue.

Minerva had never heard of this Carmen Miranda person so she had no frame of reference to go by just Severus' reaction. She called for a house elf and requested that they find a picture somewhere of this person she was supposed to be imitating. The feast continued while she waited, glaring ineffectually at Severus who kept snorting in laughter every time he glanced in her direction.

The elf returned carrying a photograph clearly taken in the muggle world (it didn't move). It showed a woman dressed in the most hideous and frilliest of costumes with a thigh high slit up one side of the skirt, enormously puffy sleeves with what looked like a bowl of fruit perched on her head. All she could do was roll her eyes at the image and her imagination of what she must look like.

She caught the eyes of the Twins and raised her goblet in silent congratulations.

* * *

**Hogwarts Express, Heading South to King's Cross**

Everyone reverted back to normal by the time morning rolled around. The Weasley Twins had received many accolades from the student and staff population for a masterfully done prank. They responded by saying that the effects of the potion and charm would last until the following morning. This was greeted with relief by the staff and most of the female population.

Harry and Hermione had passed their End of Year tests much to their relief. It was no surprise to anyone who knew Hermione that she got the top ranking in her year group. Harry had pulled fifth place behind her with Draco squeaking by him in fourth place. They found out later that Ronald Weasley had completely failed his tests and would have to repeat first year come September.

In their compartment, Harry had suggested that they take their lunch in the dining car again. Agreements were heard and so they traipsed to the second to last car of the train. The group took their seats and ordered what they wanted then sat back to chat and plan for the summer. The ride passed smoothly and without complaint. The Express pulled into the station on time and began disgorging its passengers. Harry grabbed Hermione's hand and the two manhandled their trunks over to the barrier where a guard waiting to assist them and to make sure that the muggleborns didn't swarm out of a hidden portal and scare the muggles. Hermione spotted her parents first standing next to the Dursleys. Dudley saw her waving madly and poked his father in the side causing him then everyone else to turn. Feminine squeals of joy were heard and the rapid babble of greetings spilled out intermingling with questions and answers.

On the ride home, Dudley turned to his cousin, "So? What's next?"

Harry leaned back in his seat and put his hands behind his head in an exaggerated manner, "It's summer, Dudley. I just want to veg out and not think about it. First year is done!"


End file.
